The Half-Caste Housing Policy – 1932 [EN 4/57]

February 2, 1932

His Honour, The Administrator.

In my memorandum 31/1699 of 20th July 1931, I intimated my intention of submitting proposals for the amelioration of the conditions under which Half-castes, no longer under the practical control of the Chief Protector, live in Darwin. It was originally my intention to deal with this problem by the funding of an agricultural settlement on portion of an Aboriginal Reserve no longer required for full blood aboriginals. After consultation with the Director of Agriculture, however, this scheme has had to be abandoned temporarily at any rate on the following grounds:-

No suitable land is at present available.

1. The immediate prospects for Agricultural farmers are not promising, even experienced men find themselves in grave difficulty.
2. Most of the persons concerned are considered unpromising material unless subject to the most favourable conditions.

It were well at the outset to state briefly the problem with which the Administration is at present confronted and which it was hoped this plan might help to solve. There are in Darwin some 39 male and 53 female adult half-castes with 90 children dependent upon them. These people being adults are for most purposes beyond the control of the Chief Protector. Of this number 14 males 8 females and 20 children are unemployed and wholly dependent upon Government Relief and 11 males 10 females and 17 children are maintained by casual employment yielding an average income of £72 per annum eked out by Government assistance. The wage earners in this latter class are for the most part employed on the Wharf or in the Bond and are debarred by the conditions of their employment from undertaking any other remunerative work. The Administration has a definite responsibility in respect of these persons, in as much as previous Protectors brought them from the Rural Aboriginal camps to Darwin for purpose of education, and at an early age discharged them without any special training, trade or qualification to compete on a flooded casual labour market with white labour, much of which already had preference on account of War Service. The serious consequences of this chronic state of destitution would of course be corrected by the provision of employment, but as this is not possible at the present time and does not appear to be probable in the future, it is felt that the problem must be attacked from another standpoint. Much of the trouble as I will endeavour to show is attributable to bad housing and I propose that the Administration should assist these people to secure proper accommodation, thereby removing the most effective cause of degeneration, and going far to repair the ruin, which has been wreaked in years gone by, by the execution of this former policy. Under the present Half-caste Policy, the future of Half-castes of both sexes is assured and I believe so far as Government activity is concerned that once this remaining aspect received proper attention the Half-caste problem may be said to have ceased to exist.

All of these Half-castes are inadequately housed. Several live in the Police paddock in the closest proximity to the lowest grade coloured alien population, others live in the Unemployed camps as  comrades of agitators and extremists of Communism, others in shacks and humpies suburban to Darwin. 

These huts are in the last degree insanitary, not weather-proof, ill-ventilated, overcrowded, dark and usually unfloored. The men tend to remain away from home and women oppressed by the impossibility of maintaining cleanliness, lapse into the extreme of carelessness, and the children are neglected. Prolonged penury, dirt, discomfort, inadequate diet, overcrowding and indiscriminate intermingling of the sexes lead to immorality and inevitably to prostitution. Single men do not marry, arguing that they cannot provide a home. They tend to seduction of the unmarried Half-caste female and co-habitation with the married, thereby avoiding responsibility for paternity and the offspring if any become a charge upon the Government. In this physically and morally foul atmosphere the children progress to maturity. For these premises either no rent is paid and the tenant is liable to eviction at any time or a sum is disbursed which makes serious inroads into the slender income. Sanitary rates cannot be paid, and either no service is rendered or it is provided in the interest of the general health at the expense of the Administration. Medical fees cannot be paid and when medical attention or hospitalization is required it must be provided free by the Medical Service.

It can be readily recognised that these people provide a promising field for the endeavour of the agitator, who attacks the social system. These people cannot appreciate that they have any place in the social system. It has removed them from the native camps where they would have been happy, and brought them into the town to face nothing but want and misery. It must be recognised that this is a problem of great magnitude requiring immediate attention. These conditions are evolving an immoral degenerate coloured population which, under the influence of communistic agitators, is becoming indolent, embittered and revolutionary. The existence and development of a substantial section of the coloured community along such lines strikes at the very basis of the White Australia policy already gravely threatened here by the prolific fertility of Australian-born Chinese. A section of the community having no respect for the social system is one which the reminder of the community must despise and endeavour to suppress, thereby aggravating the influence already at work towards racial conflict. 

In a White Australia the existence of a coloured community, whether alien, aboriginal, or hybrid, must remain a constant menace socially and economically as long as its member (a) fail to conform to White standards, (b) are not accepted as white citizens. 

Where these conditions are satisfied the fact of colour is, of itself, of no import. The problem of urgency is to adopt a policy which will prompt the fulfilment of these postulates, which once achieved will be followed by that dilution of colour, which will eventually remove the sole-remaining indication of miscegeny. The present Half-caste policy is calculated to subserve the purposes well and no fears whatever may be entertained in respect of that section of the rising generation of Half-castes at present under the Chief Protector’s control. It remains however, to rescue these adult half-castes no longer under legal control. As a first step in this direction I recommend that proper housing be provided for these people. It may then reasonable be expected that:

• a property sense will develop which will go far towards combating the sinister influence  of communist propaganda; 
• a proper self- respect will develop in the individual; 
• avenues of additional income will be available to those casually employed, who are debarred from taking other work for wages. Such avenues would be the sale of eggs and perhaps vegetables to Government Institutions, which might give these people preference.

The provision of permanent adequate employment for these people is a problem that only time and sustained effort can solve. The provision of proper housing accommodation should, however, remove the principal contributory factors in their moral and physical degeneration. The more stable permanent wage earners will receive attention first thereby anticipating their decline assuring the best possible response rendering vacant the better occupied premises for the less fortunate and providing the best example towards influencing improvement in all sections. By providing adequate housing accommodation at a weekly rental, well within the means of every wage earner, the principal obstacle to the marriage of single men will be removed, thereby reducing one factor of immorality that at present is such a disrupting influence in the Half-caste community.

Housing Scheme

(a) Land:-

The area granted to each tenant should be sufficient to permit later extension of the dwelling at the same time providing sufficient space for flower and kitchen gardens, out-buildings, goat and poultry yards. For these purposes it is desirable that the blocks should approximate in area the ordinary surveyed town allotment.

Section 112 of the Crown Lands Ordinance, 1931, empowers the Governor-General to grant to the descendant of any aboriginal native a lease of any Crown Lands not exceeding 160 acres for any term of years upon such premises and conditions as he thinks fit. Land could probably be made available under this section but such a course is not favoured on the following grounds:

• The success of the plan to be outlined depends upon elasticity of Administration. Conditions deemed favourable to both Crown and tenant today may prove either too harsh or too liberal tomorrow. Moreover a lease considered suitable for one tenant may prove too liberal or too harsh in the case of another and preparation of an individual or lease for submission to the Governor-General is likely to be a complicated matter beset with difficulties and delays.
• The proposed method of financing the scheme demands prompt finality so that interest will not accumulate in respect of idle funds.
• It is not desired permanently to emphasise the aboriginal element in the inheritance. It is hoped to establish these people as white citizens in a white community and to suppress any unnecessary suggestion of dependence upon the charity of the rest of the community. It is desired that when able the tenant shall pay Rent but it is not practicable to determine at this stage when they will reach that position or how much each will be able to pay.
• The scheme will be financed by loans from other Half-castes and the funds will be secured on the property. After this is held by the tenant under a lease in his own name security will only be obtained by mortgage, which is not desirable. Alternatively payment could be guaranteed by the exercising of certain legal right under the Aboriginal Ordinance by the Chief Protector. This is also undesirable.

Section 69 of the Crown Lands Ordinance provides that the Board may grant miscellaneous leases to any person with the approval of the Minister. It is recommended that action be taken under this section and an application has been made to the Board by the Chief Protector for certain blocks in an area suburban to Darwin. It is proposed that these blocks shall be leased Rent free by the Chief Protector to Half-caste persons, building under the scheme to be outlined, the matter of Rental being reviewed each year until the Chief Protector is of opinion that the liability respect of advances has been discharged and that the tenant is able to take full responsibility. Then the lease for the area involved could be surrendered by the Chief Protector in favour of a lease to be issued to the occupier himself. This plan is held to have the following advantages.

1. The Half-caste stands to the Chief Protector in the relation of tenant to landlord and measures of control may be exercised by virtue of that relationship supplemented by the powers of the Chief Health Officer. The powers of the Chief Protector of Aboriginals do not obtrude.

2. At the same time property on which other Half-castes have advanced moneys remains in trust to the Chief Protector until the value is repaid when the property revers to the tenant.

3. When necessary the final lease may be granted to the Chief Protector of Aboriginals in in trust for the wife of the Half-caste (who is legally an Aboriginal) if it appears that the husband is likely to realise on the property when once it is secured to himself.

(b) Building

After consultation with the Works Supervisor I find that a dwelling complying with the Health Regulations and capable of subsequent extension may be erected for £130.  For this purpose sand for concreting purposes will be provided free from Kahlin Beach within the Compound and stone free of charge from Fannie Bay Prison. The labour will be provided by the prospective tenants themselves, such work not coming under the restrictions which the conditions of their employment on the Wharf or in the Bond imposes. The sum of £130 will provide material and supervision. It is proposed in the first instance in order to reduce costs that bathing and sanitary accommodation should be shared.

(c) Finance

Under the policy of requiring payments of Half-caste domestics and apprentices (wages) to be made to the Aboriginal Trust Account so that the Chief Protector may assure himself that payment has actually been made, considerable Credit Balances have been collected by most of the employees. These moneys are held in the Trust Account but no interest is paid on them. Whilst it is legal apparently for the Half-caste with the approval of the Chief Protector to withdraw this money and fritter it away on rubbish, it is not legal for him to withdraw for the purposes of investing in a Savings Bank Account where it can earn interest, nor is it legal, I am advised, for him to withdraw it for the purpose of placing it on fixed deposit in a Trading Bank. It is respectfully submitted that the Administration has no right to deny the Half-caste or the Aboriginal the right to invest his money in any way which would prove of benefit to him. It is now suggested that funds for the erection of six cottages at £130 each should be raised by inviting Half-castes having Credit Balances to loan a certain amount to their fellows at 3 ½ % interest, the loan being secured against the property in the Trust of the Chief Protector and the interest and redemption being paid as Rent by the occupier. Interest at the rate of 3 ½ % would be recovered by the collection of a sum 1/9d per week. Half share sanitary rate would be covered by another 1/- per week so that a total Rental of 2/9d per week would be sufficient to pay interest and defray necessary costs. It must be recognised, however, that the incurring of heavy Medical fees may play havoc with the tenant’s income making it a matter of no little difficult for him to meet his obligation. At the same time the granting of free Medical attention is inconsistent with the policy of making the Half-caste a responsible member of the community. It is suggested, therefore, that an additional 2/- be levied as a contribution towards the Medical Benefit Fund to ensure himself and his dependents against such expenses. In short it is proposed to collect Rental at the rate of 5/- per week to pay Interest, Health rates, Medical Insurance and provide a small margin for inconsistencies. In individual cases an additional weekly collection will be made for redemption of the initial loan. In order that the maximum of effective control and exploitation of opportunity should be available it is suggested that the Housing Scheme be managed by a Board to consist of the Chief Protector of Aboriginals, Chief Clerk & Accountant and the Works Supervisor. No risk should attach either to principal, which is secured against property, or to interest that small sum required being readily recoverable from wages.

The advantages of the scheme are:

1. It provides that [a] Half-caste having a Credit Balance in Trust Account with a safe and remunerative investment of their money.
2. It should inculcate a spirit of mutual help amongst Half-castes.
3. It enables the Half-caste tenant for a sum less than the weekly rent already paid by many for squalid huts to secure a hygienic home, pay sanitary rates and insure himself and his family against illness liabilities.
4. It makes it possible for the Government whilst discharging an obligation long overdue to a section of the population, which has suffered from the Administration of Aboriginals policy in the past to collect sanitary rates and the equivalent of Medical fees from persons who hitherto have been paid neither even if they have not been a direct charge in this respect upon Administration funds.

It is earnestly recommended that this matter should receive early favourable consideration so that the work may be put in hand forthwith. The advantage to be gained from this plan being of the highest value to the community apart together from the value to the benefited individual.

Cecil Cook

Chief Protector of Aboriginals