Socially, Moore River Native Settlement
Moore River Native Settlement
The Moore River Native Settlement was the name of the now defunct Aboriginal settlement and internment camp located 135 kilometres north of Perth and 11 kilometres west of Mogumber in Western Australia, near the headwaters of the Moore River.
What happened at the Moore River native settlement?
Over 100 years, the Moore River Native Settlement became notorious as a camp where Aboriginal people from across Western Australia were sent — often against their will and often as young children — for "integration" into western society. Kevin Barron was born at the settlement, 135 kilometres north of Perth,...
What is the history of the Moore River Mission?
Locations. 1918 - 1951. Location - The Moore River Native Settlement was an Aboriginal mission run by the Western Australian Government at Mogumber.
What is the Moore River settlement in A Midsummer Night's Dream?
A settlement in southwestern Australia where the Millimurra-Munday family is relocated midway through the play. The Moore River Settlement was a kind of internment camp for Aboriginal Australians.
What happened to the children of the Moore River?
In 2018, research by the Aboriginal History WA unit showed that most of the 374 people who died at Moore River were children and many succumbed to treatable respiratory and infectious diseases. Escapes were common, particularly among children trying to get back to family.
What were the rules at Moore River?
Socially, Moore River Native Settlement practised strict segregation of the sexes and separated children from their parents under the dormitory system. Compound inmates were not allowed to leave without written permission.
Who created the Moore River Native Settlement?
The Moore River Native Settlement was established by the Government of Western Australia in 1918. The 'Aborigines Act 1905' enabled children who were 'classified as Aboriginal' to be sent there, involuntarily, from all over the State.
What is the name of the place where the children at Moore River settlement are sent to as punishment?
Escapes were common, particularly among children trying to get back to family. In 1923, a corrugated iron punishment shed, known as 'the Boob' was built at Moore River. In 1949, the school at Moore River closed and school-age children were transferred to other missions according to their religious denominations.
How far is the Moore River Native Settlement from jigalong?
around 1500 kmLocation notes: These young girls travelled from Moore River to the Rabbit Proof Fence and followed it all the way to Jigalong, a distance of around 1500 km.
How many people died at the Moore River settlement?
Of the 374 deaths that occurred during the lifetime of the settlement, 54 percent were children under 18 and 73 percent of these were under the age of five, a telling number reflecting the harsh conditions the residents endured.
What was the purpose of Moore River?
Originally conceived as a self-sustaining agricultural and education centre for marginalised Aboriginal people over the next 35 years, it was to become a place of forced incarceration for many under Section 12 of the 1905 Aborigines Act and for others a refuge from the harshness of everyday life.
What lives in Moore River?
The species found were blue-spot goby, freshwater cobbler, nightfish, south-western goby, western pygmy perch and western hardyhead, gilgie and smooth marron. Although exotic fish were found in 2019, but none in 2008, only two individual Eastern gambusia (Gambusia holbrooki) were collected in 2019.
What is the Rabbit Proof Fence?
The State Barrier Fence of Western Australia, formerly known as the Rabbit Proof Fence, the State Vermin Fence, and the Emu Fence, is a pest-exclusion fence constructed between 1901 and 1907 to keep rabbits and other agricultural pests, from the east, out of Western Australian pastoral areas.
How many children died at the Moore River settlement?
The truth of Moore River laid bare More than half the people buried at Moore River were children — 203 in total. Of these, 149 were five years old or less and more than 100 were under the age of one when they died.
Is the Rabbit-Proof Fence the longest fence in the world?
The longest fence in the world can refer to: The Dingo Fence of south-east Australia, 5,614 km (3,488 mi) finished in 1885. The Rabbit-proof fence of Western Australia, 3,253 km (2,021 mi), completed in 1907.
Where is the Rabbit-Proof Fence located in Australia?
The Number 2 Rabbit Proof Fence was built in 1905 in order to stem their advance. Stretching 1166 kilometres from Point Ann on the south coast through Cunderdin, 150 kilometres east of Perth, the new fence joined the original fence line at Gum Creek in the Murchison area.
Why was the Moore River Native Settlement established?
Moore River was established under the policies of the chief protector of Aborigines, AO Neville, and was originally intended to be a self-supporting farming community. But it soon morphed into a combination of prison camp, welfare hostel and dumping ground for the elderly and destitute.
Where does Moore River start?
Indian OceanMoore River / MouthThe Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering 70,560,000 km² or ~19.8% of the water on Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east. Wikipedia
Who is Neville in Rabbit Proof Fence?
Neville, played by Kenneth Branagh, is the main non-indigenous character in "Rabbit-Proof Fence." The Western Australian archives reveal much about Neville's half-caste policy. Under this system the preferred minimum age for removal was 6, especially in the case of girls.
What was the purpose of the Moore River settlement?
As part of the settlement's aim to be self-sufficient and to train girls to work as domestic labour, sewing classes were also provided. The garments were provided to people at Moore River and were also supplied to Fremantle prison, psychiatric hospitals and other Aboriginal institutions.
Who described Moore River as a dump?
The chronic underfunding and living conditions at Moore River prompted this critique by former Governor-General and federal Liberal minister Sir Paul Hasluck, after visiting in the 1930s: Photo: Sir Paul Hasluck described Moore River as a "dump". (Supplied: National Archives of Australia)
How many people died in Moore River?
The research, by the state's Aboriginal History WA unit, shows that most of the 374 people who died there ...
What was the rapid growth of the Moore River camp?
The rapid growth of the Moore River camp meant it was very difficult to keep up with accommodation and it rapidly became overcrowded. Dorms were first built for young girls at the camp. This was followed by a single mens' quarters in 1937, and soon after by a set of married quarters.
Who was the chief protector of the Moore River?
Moore River was established under the policies of the chief protector of Aborigines, AO Neville, and was originally intended to be a self-supporting farming community. Photo: AO Neville , the former chief protector of Aborigines in WA. (Supplied: Aboriginal History WA)
Is Moore River Cemetery still standing?
Little remains of the Moore River cemetery today. It lies in an overgrown part of the camp marked by a scattering of small, rusting iron crosses standing in the sandy ground and low scrub. But the children and families who died at Moore River over the decades are now finally being remembered.
Who opened the Moore River Settlement?
The Moore River Native Settlement was opened under the auspices of the Chief Protector of Aborigines, A. O. Neville.
How many deaths were there in the Moore River Settlement?
Between 1918 and 1952, 346 deaths were recorded at Moore River Native Settlement, 42% of which were children age 1–5. Socially, Moore River Native Settlement practised strict segregation of the sexes and separated children from their parents under the dormitory system.
What was the purpose of the settlement of the Murchison?
The settlement was supposed to accommodate Aboriginal people mainly drawn from the Murchison, Midlands and south-west regions ...
Why did the Murchison settlement fail?
The ambition to turn the settlement into a farming community failed because the land was unsuitable for cultivation.
Where is the Moore River Settlement Hospital?
The Moore River Native Settlement was the name of the now defunct Aboriginal settlement and internment camp located 135 kilometres (84 mi) north of Perth and 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) west of Mogumber in Western Australia, near the headwaters of the Moore River .
Who is the Aboriginal man who is forcibly moved to the settlement?
Several plays, films and books have been produced which tell harrowing tales of life in the settlement: Aboriginal poet and playwright Jack Davis ' play Kullark where an Aboriginal man named Thomas Yorlah is forcibly moved to the settlement and makes numerous attempts to escape.
Who was the leader of the Native Settlement Scheme?
He was strongly guided by Rufus Henry Underwood. Neville adopted Underwood's anti-mission stance and between them developed the "native settlement scheme", devised to meet the varying demands of non-Aboriginal people, for their segregation from the wider community and the continuing need for Aboriginal labour.
When did the Moore River Native Settlement close?
On 18 August 1951 , the Moore River Native Settlement was closed and was handed over 'in toto' by the Department of Native Affairs to the Methodist Overseas Mission. It reopened as Mogumber, under the management of the Methodist Overseas Mission.
How many people died in Moore River?
In 2018, research by the Aboriginal History WA unit showed that most of the 374 people who died at Moore River were children and many succumbed to treatable respiratory and infectious diseases. Escapes were common, particularly among children trying to get back to family.
What was the guardianship of the children and young people at Moore River?
The children and young people at Moore River were under the guardianship of the heads of the government departments responsible for Aboriginal welfare. Over-crowding, disease and 'grossly inadequate health and sanitary facilities' persisted at Moore River throughout its existence.
What is the name of the settlement in Western Australia?
Alternative Names. Moore River Aboriginal Settlement. The Moore River Native Settlement was established by the government of Western Australia in 1918. Aboriginal children of all ages from all over the State were placed there. In 1951, the government transferred management to the Methodist Overseas Mission who opened Mogumber on the same site.
When did the Aboriginal land transfer to the Aboriginal Lands Trust?
In 1974, the lands were transferred to the Aboriginal Lands Trust of WA.
When was Mogumber established?
The Moore River Native Settlement was established by the Government of Western Australia in 1918.
When did the Moore River Native Settlement close?
On 18 August 1951, the Moore River Native Settlement was closed and was handed over 'in toto' by the Department of Native Affairs to the Methodist Overseas Mission. It reopened as Mogumber, under the management of the Methodist Overseas Mission. The death rate at Moore River reduced markedly after the government ceded control to ...
When did Moore River Native Settlement get transferred to Aboriginal Lands Trust?
In 1974, the lands were transferred to the Aboriginal Lands Trust of WA. Moore River Native Settlement was mentioned in the Bringing Them Home Report (1997) as an institution that housed Indigenous children removed from their families.
What is the name of the settlement in Western Australia?
Alternative Names. Moore River Aboriginal Settlement (Also known as) The Moore River Native Settlement was established by the government of Western Australia in 1918. Aboriginal children of all ages from all over the State were placed there. In 1951, the government transferred management to the Methodist Overseas Mission who opened Mogumber on ...
What was the guardianship of the children and young people at Moore River?
The children and young people at Moore River were under the guardianship of the heads of the government departments responsible for Aboriginal welfare. Over-crowding, disease and 'grossly inadequate health and sanitary facilities' persisted at Moore River throughout its existence.
How many people died in Moore River?
In 2018, research by the Aboriginal History WA unit showed that most of the 374 people who died at Moore River were children and many succumbed to treatable respiratory and infectious diseases. Escapes were common, particularly among children trying to get back to family.
When was Mogumber established?
The Moore River Native Settlement was established by the Government of Western Australia in 1918. The 'Aborigines Act 1905' enabled children who were 'classified as Aboriginal' to be sent there, involuntarily, ...
What does Molly feel about the rabbit fence?
She recognizes it because her father, an inspector, has told her so much about it. The girls all feel a sense of relief and renewal as they begin following the fence toward Jigalong.
What is the relationship between Molly and the natural world?
As if to cement the metaphorical point she made in the last passage, Pilkington points out the “kinship” between Molly and the natural world, and writes that it is Molly’s intimate knowledge of the wilderness (and how to survive in it) that will get her, Gracie, and Daisy through the rest of their ordeal.
What does the rabbit proof fence mean in Molly and the Girls?
The sight of the rabbit-proof fence symbolizes that the girls’ journey to this point has been a success.
What do Gracie and Daisy protest about?
Gracie and Daisy protest. They are afraid that they will never be able to make the journey home. Molly confidently assures the girls that the trip will be easy: they’ll just find the rabbit-proof fence, and follow it all the way back to Jigalong. Gracie and Daisy, impressed by Molly’s confidence, agree to leave with her.
Why does Molly feel she is too grown up for school?
Molly feels she is too grown up for school, and this is just one of the many reasons why she feels she must get herself and her sisters out of the settlement. After the school bell rings, Martha instructs the three girls to follow her to school.
What is the significance of the girls' upbringing in Aboriginal culture?
The girls’ upbringing in Aboriginal culture has instilled in them not just a love of and an intimacy with nature, but a belief in the spirit world. The frightened girls—worried that they will be pursued by a tracker or by someone from Moore River—let their imaginations run away with them, signaling their discomfort and fear in their dangerous circumstances despite all their prowess in nature.
Is there a happy end to Molly's plan?
Molly’s plan has come to fruition, and in the depths of their pain and misery, there is at last a happy end in sight. Though Molly knows there is still so much more ground to cover, she is encouraged by the sight of the fence, and tries to get her sisters feeling reinvigorated and full of hope once more, too.
Overview
The Moore River Native Settlement was the name of the now defunct Aboriginal settlement and internment camp located 135 kilometres (84 mi) north of Perth and 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) west of Mogumber in Western Australia, near the headwaters of the Moore River.
History
The settlement was opened by the Government of Western Australia in 1918. It was originally intended to be a small, self-supporting farming settlement for 200 Aboriginal people, with schooling and health facilities available for the children and employment opportunities for the adults. The settlement was supposed to accommodate Aboriginal people mainly drawn from the Murchison, Midlands …
Poor conditions
The camp population became increasingly mixed as Aboriginal people came in from various parts of the state, with some coming from as far away as the Kimberley and Pilbara. By the mid-1920s conditions in the institution had declined significantly as overcrowding and poor sanitation were the norm, with many health problems being reported amongst its population. From 1924, the settlement had an average population of 300 and its buildings were becoming dilapidated. By 19…
Name change
In 1951 the government handed control of the settlement to the Mogumber Methodist Mission, which renamed it Mogumber Native Mission. A greater emphasis was placed by the new owners on Christian guidance and on the vocational training of youths than had existed when it was a government institution. The facility remained running until 1974, when it was taken over by the Aboriginal Land Trust. Currently the land is leased to the Wheatbelt Aboriginal Corporation, and i…
Cultural and journalistic coverage
Several plays, films and books have been produced which tell harrowing tales of life in the settlement:
• Aboriginal poet and playwright Jack Davis' play Kullark where an Aboriginal man named Thomas Yorlah is forcibly moved to the settlement and makes numerous attempts to escape. Along with this, in his play No Sugar, the entire Aboriginal population in Northam is sent to the settlement. Da…
See also
• Noongar