Cook comments on the Bleakley Report [EN 4/31]

COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA

Department of Health

Darwin N.A.,

11th June 1929

His Honour, 

The Government Resident,

In accordance with your instructions I submit herewith comments upon the Bleakley Report on Aboriginals and Halfcastes of North Australia. At the outset I feel I speak for all concerned at present in the protection of aboriginals in North Australia and for all my predecessors in the office of Chief Protector when I was that the publication of this report is to be deplored. Presented as it was to a meeting of missionaries as ill informed of the true position as their utterances indicated, it must have extinguished for all time the last glimmer of appreciation for the conscientious labour of Commonwealth Protectors during the past decades.

Except for certain recommendations of debatable value based on premises out of accord with ascertained facts, in respect of the treatment of the Halfcastes and establishment of Missions, the report is a rehash of information and recommendations collected and submitted from time to time by Commonwealth Protectors. Much of it could have been compiled, indeed parts of it appear to have had such an origin, from communications passing between Darwin and the seat of Government, though no acknowledgement is made of any indebtedness. Elsewhere by omission of relevant facts, by innuendo in inference, and by actual mis-statement the report contrives in at least four sections to present as an ideal policy submitted de novo the very procedures and practices that have prevailed with us for years past. It is not too much to say that many of these phases of policy were evolved here and are still unknown in Queensland. That the recommendations of procedures already in the main the practice of long standing should be hailed by a meeting of missionaries as heralding the dawn of new era for the aboriginal in North Australia, is at once an injustice and an affront to the Commonwealth Protectors with whom the policy actually originated, and who have laboured uncomplainingly with limited funds to develop a protection system superior in policy to that of the costly Queensland and Westralian Departments.

Recommendations for regulation employment (report page 9). This matter was exhaustively dealt with in my memorandum of 11/3/28, and no new points are raised except:

3. For the deduction of a percentage of the native’s earnings for compulsory saving.

This is not necessary and in the vast majority of cases undesirable. The majority of aboriginals here are not sufficiently civilised to appreciate or need permanent savings. After a period of employment they return to their native haunts and may never again be employed at a wage warranting a savings deduction. Savings, after five years if the owner is untraced, are paid into general Revenue.

4. This also is premature for application to North Australia. The death of a native in an expensive hut may cause it to be untenanted for many years. Where conditions are suitable, proper housing is already insisted upon.

Recommendations (Report page 11) in respect of maintenance of Indigents are also covered in my memorandum of 11/3/1928 above referred to. Particular comment is as follows:-

1. Station Camps

1. “Reconsideration of rents” – This is no concern of the Administration.
2. “Issue of supplementary relief” – This has been the practice for many years. Recommendations for extension of this policy are embodied in my memorandum of 11/3/28.
3. Extension of laws suggested is neither necessary nor practicable. It is impossible to impose morality by legislation. The existing laws are all that can reasonably be enforced and the vigilance of Protectors in this connection leaves nothing to be desired.
4. It is not practicable for Aboriginal Branch to apply pressure upon employers to engage only married men. To the extent that unmarried men are prohibited from employing female aboriginals the Aboriginal Branch exerts some pressure.

1. Construction work areas are continuously patrolled and our V.D. records show that the patrols are effective.
2. Appointment of telegraph Masters of Protectors is not desirable. All that is required of them is already satisfactorily done. The question of remuneration might be considered.
3. Missions are required to be relief depots without additional financial assistance.
4. This is already the Administration’s Policy.
5. Periodical medical examination is a North Australia practice that has been vigorously prosecuted for over two years. It is not attempted in any other state.

Recommendations in respect of Native and Aboriginal Institutions call for no comment except that they are not original and embody no departure from the present policy except:

4.d. Which is impracticable until adequate lighting is available.

5. Appointment of a separate whole time Superintendent and Matron entails uncalled for expense. A proposal to form a separate native police corps for Compound duty only was dropped two years ago in deference to strong opposition from the Commissioner of Police who compromised by making trackers sleep at the Compound where they are available at night.

Recommendations in respect of nomadic aboriginals do not call for comment except that in view of the failure of existing Missions to achieve any very noticeable result any expense in subsidising new attempt would appear unwarranted.

Recommendations in respect of Administration call for no comment except:

5. Medical inspection of bush blacks and 
6. Treatment clinics for bush aboriginals have been the established practice in North Australia for some two years. The same cannot be said of any State Protection System.

7, 8, 9 & 13., have been routine practice for many years.

Proposed Amendments to Ordinance

Sec 4 (2) Appears unnecessary vide Sec 4. S S 4

Sec 7 (1) Already effected

Sec 13. A further amendment suggested in the substitution of Government Resident and Chief Protector for the work “Administrator” in the first and second line respectively.

Sec 15 (3) The amendment is not considered practicable.

Sec 20. Amendment appears unnecessary vide S 19, 19a & 21.

Sec 32 (2) Amendment appears unnecessary vide Sec 15.

Sec 36 & 38. Unnecessary amendment already affected.

Sec 53 Proposed sub-section (1) d. There are strong reasons against effecting such an amendment, the object of which is to check the breeding of half-castes. Whilst the ideal is a laudable one it must not be forgotten that:-

1. It is not practicable to impose morality by regulation. The result would be to increase the number of technical offenders without diminishing the evil.

2. In the vast majority of cases no action under this clause could be sustained unless the aboriginal’s sworn statement were accepted in preference to that of the white defendant. This would give the aboriginal a weapon for Blackmail, which it would be foolhardy to afford him.

3. Sexual passion after prolonged repression is unlikely to be influenced by academic legal enactments. On the other hand crimes of violence intended to ensure concealment of the offence must be expected to increase.

4. In common with many other recommendations in the Report, this one is made without due consideration of available fact. In Township areas where the great proportion of detectable offences under this clause would be committed, the fertility rate of lubras is so low that the half-caste birth-rate is negligible. On the other hand where, as in country districts, the birth of half-castes is frequent, sufficient evidence to enable a prosecution to be sustained, would rarely be available unless as stated, the Aboriginal’s evidence were preferred to the defendant’s.

5. The successful enforcement of such a law in Darwin, with its lowgrade cosmopolitan population and scarcity of women is calculated to be followed by an out-break of “sex crimes” and in particular to imperil the young white population.

Halfcaste Policy

Before any consideration in details is given to the recommendations made in the Report, the policy towards Halfcastes must be defined.

In North Australia the policy has been to endeavour to save the white element in the half-caste from further dilution and to encourage the half-caste to quality and accept the duties of citizenship. So far from regarding the quadroon, as Mr. Bleakley does, as a menace even more deplorable, considerable care has been exercised in raising these delicate children, with a view to their further availability in the total breeding out of colour. There are in Darwin quadroon girls reared by the Sisters of Mercy at the Convent of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, of whose response to moral upbringing and careful education any white father might be proud. Some of these girls have creditably taken their places in the white business community and are accepted by better class white girls of their own age. It is not true of North Australia, that the “civilised” halfcaste reverts to the Black. On the contrary the men, with few exceptions, choose their wives from amongst halfcaste girls, whilst the girls marry either whites or halfcastes.

In Queensland this may not be true, for there no effort to improve the half-castes has ever been made, and they are brought up with the Aboriginals. This is the policy now recommended to us by Mr. Bleakley, and I have no hesitation in condemning it as retrogression. A definite decision on the future of the Halfcaste Home, Darwin, cannot be reached until this question of policy is finalised.

Halfcaste Home, Darwin

The statement that no information is available as to the probably cost of the proposed new Halfcaste Home, is not in accordance with fact. The Works Director’s estimate at the time of submission was £3,000 – little more than half Mr. Bleakley’s estimate.

The statement that if proceeded with – additional accommodation will be necessary as only 46 beds are provided, is not strictly correct. Most of the children will sleep in cots, of which there is sufficient room for 100.

The point heavily stressed that girls preponderate because employers are reluctant to part with them is incorrect. The reason of the preponderance of females is partly attributable to circumstance of birth. Births of half-castes during the year indicated were as follows:

A further fact in contributing to the discrepancy has been the necessity of avoiding overcrowding. Whilst boys may be profitably left in the Bush, the same is not true of girls. Had sufficient accommodation been available, boys also would have been brought in.

The statement, that the proximity of the proposed Home to the compound, implies that our policy does not comprehend entire segregation of the halfcaste from the black, is not justified. It were equally reasonable to allege that Government Servants living in premises adjoining the Compound do not intend to keep their children from free association with the blacks.

The alleged disadvantages advanced against the continuation of a Halfcaste Home in Darwin do not bear inquiry.

(a) This Home will be no more a prison in Darwin that it would be on a remote island, where blacks lived in close proximity. Night watching is not required now and will be still less necessary if the new place is adopted. Officials do not live in the premises now, and will not be required to do so in future.

(b) No more trouble of this nature need to be feared than is experienced now. In any case the risk on a Mixed Mission would be great – if not greater. Bathurst Island Mission occasionally transfer Halfcaste girls to Darwin on account of their relations with natives.

(c) Such has not been experienced to date.

(d) Boys would be obtained only long enough to receive a general education, preparatory to apprenticeship on stations, where they would receive much superior training to anything available on a Mission and where they would automatically drop into permanent employment.

Neither of the Missions suggested – Bathurst Island and Goulburn Island – offers any opportunity for training in Stock work. Two halfcastes, recently transferred to Sydney from Goulburn Island, under Mr. Burton for vocational training in Sydney, have failed to make appreciable progress on account of their poor knowledge of English.

(a) Not in accordance with fact.

(b) The burden of management should be upon the Administration.

On the other hand the alleged advantages of the new proposal do not carry the weight accredited them.

(a) Although the institution is on an island therefore “removed from the low alien population of Darwin” it is not proof to assault from Aboriginals – momentarily expected at Groote Island – nor it is proof to penetration by alien crews of Pearling Luggers. On the contrary its remoteness from Police protection favours such intrusion being attended with disastrous results to all concerned. 

(b) This is a matter of opinion and not a statement of fact.

(c) This is a statement in direct opposition to ascertained fact.

(d) This would entail the retention of boys at no little expense to the Administration for a period subsequent to the mastering of elementary general knowledge, to undergo training by inefficient tutors in an unsuitable locality. Under the alternative system advocated by us boys reaching the age of 12 years and having had adequate schooling in reading, writing and arithmetic would be apprenticed to Station Managers or other employers who would give them proper training in a suitable field and thereafter enrol them as permanent employees.

(e) Requires no comment.

Furthermore the answers given to the four objections originally raised by me against the principle in general are not considered adequate.

1. I maintained that the Halfcaste females provided a source of domestic labour to the white women of Darwin. The allegation by Mr. Bleakley that the demand for domestic servants is filled by labour at present available is in direct opposition to established fact. The source of Aboriginal labour will annually diminish, and by the time children now in the Home are available there will be an even greater shortage.

2. On the other hand if the Mission is to transfer trained girls of mature age to Darwin for domestic service, experience proves that it is impossible to permit the housing of such girls by employers. It will be necessary to provide a hostel (A Halfcaste Home) for them and this of itself entails duplication. The segregation which Mr. Bleakley desires to avoid will just be as necessary with the Mission girls as with those we at present hold and no good purpose will have been served by their period of exile.

3. Station owners will not employ Mission trained Stockmen particularly those trained where there are no stock; boys trained as stockmen on a Mission will have few avenue for employment, Mr. Bleakley notwithstanding.

4. The substitution of motherly women for qualified medical practitioners and doubled certificated nurses is a recommendation concerning which the least said the better.

The statement that the Mission system will cost less is disputed, vide my various memoranda on the proposal to transfer Darwin Halfcaste to Groote Island.

Cecil Cook

CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER.