QUEENSLAND NATIVES.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 4871, 6 July 1901, Page 4

QUEENSLAND NATIVES.

Tfcs Queensland aborigines are fast dimfsij»hing in numbers, and contact with civilisation has brought them neither happiness nor riches. There it a camp of blacks on Btradbrooke Island, near Brisbane, and the Brisbane Wearier ' gives an interesting accooVti of a visit paid to it by Mr Thomas Nettie a staunch friend of all the blacks, and formerly a worker among them. One the whole he found the natives contented and bappy, and they are dying oat rapidly and all' the jonng p*ople »>©-> halt-caatea. They «peak *Wr own Iftagasge* bat ttwy •peak English also. There is a special settlement on Eraser's Island, and one of the Stradbrooke blacks, who bad obtained permission to go and see bis, friends there, said that the island was a good place, bnt the blackfellows were fretting at being kept there, away from their own country. It seems that the blacks are taken to Eraser's Island quite irrespective of the districts they belong to, or the different jibgb*9§Jty!: do not ] i k * . thi , B , l f the former ■ettlement at Bribie Island, which irarmderMr JPetrie's managementftm)*mttnres l had to work in exchange for rations, and -they caught atjijesftetf^sh, and got dugong, shark aigLßsng*ay oils, which were ibid in exchange for rations, and these were given in charge of- an old man to dole out. Eventually the camp was broken up,,*nA the fiabin£-bo»ts tbo Government b««3 proridej for iho otation wcr« given to the blacks. Most of tbe old tribal customs are disappearing in QneensUnd, or at least in those parts of .the "State where the blacks come iote-contact with white men. Thus, Mr Petrie says, the corrobborees given by. the. natives for the entertainment of *viatteri are not the 'real ceremonies of the old times. The young men have never seen the genuine corrobboree, and consequently give at best only a poor: imitation; but Mr Petrie was told that three or four of tbe older blacks, if requested to do so, would be able td organise a ceremony on tbe old lines. Mr Fetrie's knowledge should be of the greatest assistance to tbe Government in dealing with the remnant of the aboriginal population, for tbe*blaeks-talk to him with the greatest freedom, and allow him to go among them without let or hindrance, In tbe presence of ordinary official visitors they are said to be rather sulky.