HALF-CASTE MOTHER

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19099, 21 August 1936, Page 11

HALF-CASTE MOTHER

WANTS CUSTODY OF CHILD ABORIGINAL PROBLEM DATS WIN, Aug. 11. A half-caste mother applied in the Supreme Court here to-day for a writ of habeas corpus, to obtain the custody of her daughter, aged almost 17 years, at present in a Roman Catholic Convent. Tho' girl’s father is a European. The hearing was adjourned until September 10, the mother to have access to the girl for an hour a. week in the presence of a sister of the convent. The application was made by Mrs. Christina Mary Odegaard, of Darwin, in resnect of her daughter, Florence

The application was made by Mrs. Christina. Maty Odegaard, of Darwin, in respect of her daughter, Florence Rosin a Odegaard. Mr. 11. J. Foster (for the. mother) explained that the child was placed in a Roman Catholic convent in 1933. The child was nearly 17 years of age.: and her father did not claim anything. He had deserted iter at. the end of 1919, and had had nothing to do with her .since. The acting Chief Protector of Aborigines, Dr. W. B. Kirkland, made some claims on the custody of the child —the onus was upon the acting Chief Protector to show he was concerned in the matter.

The Crown Law Officer, Mr. F.. T. Asche, who appeared for the respondent Mother Superior of the Darwin Convent, and for the acting Chief Protector of Aborigines, read an affidavit by Dr. Kirkland in which it was stated that the applicant was a half-caste within the meaning of the Aborigines Ordinance, 1918-1953. The affidavit claimed that Dr. Kirkland exercised the rights of guardianship as protector over the girl. It was in the interests of the girl to remain at the convent. Mr. Asche said that the father of the girl, .Olaf Odegaard, was strongly opposed to the child living with her mother, and wished her to remain at the convent- at his expense. Stating that Christina Odegaard came within the definition of “aboriginal,” Judge Wells remarked that the term “aboriginal” was the most extraordinary word ever invented. Apparently it was invented by some person with a liking for high-sounding words. It had no meaning.