1971 School Magazine

white commandant and lived in barracks or camps so they could be nearby if required. They were usuaily necessary in newly settled districts where the blacks were troublesome. They hunted down murderous blacks or others guilty of breaking into huts or spearing stock. The trackers did their work not by smell, 6ut by sight. They knelt on the ground and, with their large eyes, scanned every biade of grass or leaf, carefully observing minute impressions left on the ground by footsteps. It was tedious work tracing every step but the trackers were rewarded, both by pay from the government and with praise. The native police were formed to preserve peace and order, but at times, they defeated their purpose by embarking on massacres of both innocent and guilty blacks. The tribes naturally sought revenge, so that innocent white men were killed also. There was little friendship amongst the tribes, so the blacks did not hesitate to pursue those of other tribes and bring them before the law. Thirdly, if any whites were in need, the blacks, were always prepared to help them, live with them and share food and water with them. The aborigines were of great value to inexperienced travellers who lost their way in the bush. The natives did their utmost to help the whites, treated them kindly and guided them on to the right track. As well, on many occasions, escaped convicts lived for years with the aborigines and were later found by explorers. Another thing was that some blacks became highly useful in helping run the settlers' properties. At first, in Victoria, the tribes were fascinated to see such strange woolly animals, sheep, and were delighted to assist in the droving. Iater, the black men were renowned as being first rate horsemen, so were employed at most stations to muster cattle, break in horses and to "head" mobs of wild horses. The females were employed as domestic slaves or nurses, and the young boys frequently ran messages or looked after the cattle. Some settlers treated the aboriginal children kindly, taught them a little of the white man's way of Life, and gave them employment when they grew up. Unfortunately, this could seldom happen because the natives never stayed long at one place. and were always ready to return to their primitive way of life. Iastly, the whites often "stole" the female aborigines or "gins" to assist them with sealing. After Flinders discovered Bass Strait, he reported that there were numerous islands on which hundreds of seals and mutton birds were to be found. As these were very valuable, the lawless whites, such as escaped convicts, began taking women from the coastal tribes to help kill and prepare the seal skins and mutton birds for market. The women had a very skilful and efficient means of killing the seals. Each was given a club, then they wet themselves all over as they said it would keep the seals from smelling them as they walked along the rocks. The women swam to where some seals lay, seemingly asleep and then lay down

Four years laIer, a third incident occurred which was serious enough to be called a "battle". Governor Stirling in Western .Australia led an expedition of about twenty men to the Murray River to punish a tribe for killing some whites and destroying their property. Approximately eighty natives fought and at least half were killed in this "Battle of Pinjarra". The fourth incident known as the Myall Creek Massacre occurred in 1838. Ten overlanders were murdered by the blacks at Benalla in New South Wales so some station hands from Myall Creek station retaliated by killing the blacks. These white men were hanged to the horror and protest of the public, for they weie so unaccustomed to such a punishment. The aborigines appeared to the Europeans as unintelligent, but really they were gifted in certain ways which were of use to the whites. Firstly, they proved to be excellent guides. In the early days, both explorers and pioneers were wise to take one or two aboriginal guides with them. These men were experts in caiching opossums in case of a shortage of food, and their senses of sight and hearing were very acute. They could detect the presence of other blacks in an area without any trouble and so gave warning of an attack. Leichhardt in 1845, journeyed along the Queensland coast to Port Essington, and in his party were two aboriginal guides, Charley Fisher and Harry Brown. Without them, Leichhardt and his party would soon have lost their horses and bullocks, became lost themselves and they would have, starved after eight months. When the food supplies ran out, the blackfellows shot emus, kangaroos, ducks and flying foxes, and they were the only two who could recover the stock that strayed. To these natives, the journey was simply an extended walkabout and although kichhardt received all the praise for his exploration, these guides deserved it. Leichhardt was a keen observer of aboriginal food gathering methods. If other explorers had not shunned these they too would have survived when their food supplies were exhausted. As well, the guides could become very loyal and attached to persons with whom they had been long acquainted. Edmund Kennedy on his expedition to Cape York was accompanied by several men, the most faithful being a native, Jacky Jacky. Another, Wylie, an aboriginal guide, was Eyre's sole companion who survived the hardships in the expedition discovering a stock route between South Australia and Western Australia. Another native who was extremely good company was King Bungaree, one of Flinder's crew on his voyage around the Australian coast. He was noted as a mimic, especially of the current governor, and became a friendly and familiar figure in Sydney. The aborigines served a second purpose, as native police or black trackers. They were all excellent horsemen who took pride in wearing uniforms, carrying carbines and being trusted with much responsibitty. They were trained to serve under a

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