GROOTE EYLANDT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22067, 25 September 1933, Page 11

GROOTE EYLANDT

POLICE SENT TO PROTECT MISSIONARIES THREATENING ABORIGINES. (From Oob Own Correspondent.) SYDNEY, September 14. , After a week's indecision concerning the despatch of a punitive expedition against aborigines in Arnhem Land, NorthEast Australia, the Federal Government was compelled, by strong public protests, to abandon that plan, put a disquieting message from the mission station on Groote Eylaudt, in the " danger' centre," has led to the despatch from Darwin this week of a party of three police and four black trackers. Thus has the public conscience been salved in a manner compatible with the performance of the duty of governing. It is noticeable that the missions which led the outcry against the original expedition and declared that the missionaries in the field needed no succour, have been curiously silent since word came from Groote Eylandt that fears were held that Caledon Bay natives, least civilised of any in Australia, might attack the mission there.

Groote Eylandt is off the main coast, in the Gulf of Carpentaria. At present there are six whites at the missipn and more than 20 half-castes, in addition to Constable Hall, who was a member of the police party when Constable M'Coll was killed at Woodah Island early last month, and was sent to Groote Eylandt following that tragedy. The mission is maintained by the Church Missionary Society. There are on the station eight large buildings, including a church, schoolroom, residences, and dormitories, as well as a sawmill.. The mission reservation is surrounded by the territory of the Caledon Bay natives. Thick scrub borders the station. It was from this outpost of Australian civilisation that the message came at the end of last week that the Caledon Bay natives had recently been showing signs of treachery and restlessness and that there was a likelihood of their attacking the station. The party which left Darwin this week has been called a " succouring party." _ It will be in no way a punitive expedition. its sole function being to protect the missionaries and half-castes until all danger has passed. The party will establish a patrol to be on day and night guard duty and will have specially-trained Alsatians as watch dogs. The party will remain at Groote Eylandt throughout the wet season, which lasts until March or April, as it is considered that the greatest danger of attack exists during that time of the year. Aborigines on the mainland always trek to the seashore during that season, because the torrential rains flood the country, dispersing the game and birds and making it impossible to hunt animals in the swampy ground. For most of the wet season they live on short rations of fish and shellfish, and therefore there would be a great temptation to them, through hunger and the craving for variety of food, to raid the mission for its supplies of flour, meat, sugar, and tobaccO. The party is making the speediest journey possible from Darwin to Groote Eylandt. It has gone by train to Mataranka, from where it will go by car to the Roper River Mission station. The Groote Eylandt auxiliary ketch, Holly, will be waiting at Roper River, and the party will embark there and be at Groote Eylandt two days later, providing wind and tides do not delay the journey.