Aboriginal Day of Mourning

Aboriginal Day of Mourning: By Betsy Dang

When:  Australia Day 1938
Where: Australian Hall, Elizabeth Street, Sydney.
Impacts: Informed public about the appalling conditions under which many Aboriginal people lived.  Cause gained widespread support from groups such as trade unions, Housewives Association and feminist clubs.  Aboriginal Protection Board removed (1940).  Changes were made to Aboriginal Protection Amendment Act 1940 which gave Aboriginals of NSW two representatives on Aborigines Welfare Board (1943).

What happened:

• While white Australians celebrated 150 years of European settlement, Aborigines held a Day of Mourning


• The landing at Sydney Cove marks the beginning of bitter wars, unnecessary and brutal deaths, and the continuing struggle for survival by Aboriginal people in Sydney and around Australia.


• Culmination of 10 years political protest against discriminatory policies of government that denied Aboriginal people full citizen status and equal rights.


• Those in attendance: William Cooper (secretary of Aboriginal Advancement League), Margaret Tucker & Doug Nicholls from Melbourne, Jack and Selina Patten from La Perouse, Bill Ferguson from Dubbo, Pearl Gibbs from Brewarrina and Helen Grosvenor from Redfern.


• 1937:  Idea proposed by William Cooper at Aboriginal Advancement League meeting.


• Bill Ferguson (Aborigine’s Progressive Association) had been invited to speak about pitiful conditions of life on NSW reserves.


• Aborigine’s Progressive Association had only been formed to draw attention to injustices endured under the NSW Aborigines Protection Board.


• 1937: Association had already presented detailed submission to Select Committee of NSW Parliament inquiring into administration of Protection Board.


• Charged reserve managers and protectors abused powers & failed to carry out responsibilities.


• Bill Ferguson & jack Patten produced manifesto – “Aborigines Claim Citizen Rights!”.  


• Accused white Australia of genocide


• Called for Royal Commission and public inquiry into circumstances of Aboriginal people and proposed future of nation lay in granting citizenship to Aborigines.


• Achieved by:


• Repealing discriminatory laws and abolishing Aborigines Protection Board.


• Granting Aboriginal people the same political & legal rights as others


• Giving Aboriginal people access to social service benefits, workers compensation and equal wages


• Granting equal rights to possession of property.


• Granting equal education opportunities.


• 31st January: 20 Aboriginal people presented these demands to PM J.A Lyons, his wife and Commonwealth minister responsible for Indigenous affairs in Northern Territory, John McEwen.


• Presented 10-point plan including:


• Commonwealth control of Aboriginal affairs


• Creation of Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs and Aboriginal representation on board of administrators to be determined by Aborigines Progressive Association


• Full citizenship status and equality in education, the law, welfare, work and labour.


• PM responded by stating that such changes could only occur through an alteration to the Constitution.  The Commonwealth had no power to interfere in state matters.

Impact:

• Was important example of organised Aboriginal protest and part of wider campaign of Aboriginal activism in interwar years.


• Aboriginal Progressive Association and other activist groups were successful in speaking up for Aborigines, in publicizing conditions on reserves and clearly identifying a list of reforms that would give them the chance to participate fully in Australian society.

Aboriginal Day of Mourning:

• Report of Day of Mourning Conference was written up in “Abo Call” (monthly newspaper by Jack Patten).  


• Powerful statement about social injustices suffered by Aboriginal people.


• Ferguson & Patten’s manifesto played key role in informing public about appalling living  conditions.


• Work of Aborigines Progressive Association was important because evidence gathered for Select Committee Inquiry into the Protection Board was thorough and well presented.  Newspapers used it = publicity.


• Cause gained widespread support from groups such as trade unions, Housewives Association and feminist clubs.  


• Though Inquiry abandoned, the old Protection Board was removed in 1940.  


• Aboriginal Progressive Association was active in other ways too:


• Promoted first Aboriginal strike in 1939 when over 100 people walked off Cummeragunja Reserve.  Protest against appalling conditions on reserve and treatment they received from their Protection Board manager.  This helped bring about the abolition of old Board.  


• People gave generously to collections for the striking community.


• Jack Patten was tried and convicted for inciting Aboriginal people to leave a reserve.


• WWII = government accusation of strike organizers being Nazi agents.


• Jack Patten and co pressured to stop campaigning and public support fell away.


• Changes were made to Aboriginal Protection Amendment Act 1940 which gave Aboriginals of NSW two representatives on Aborigines Welfare Board (1943). One full blood: Walter Page, one half-caste: Bill Ferguson.


• Many of the issues raised at the Day of Mourning Conference and by the Aborigines Progressive Association would resurface in the years following WWII and become the agenda for future reform.


• May 27th, 1967 saw a referendum in which the nation voted to give Aboriginal people citizenship rights in their own country.  There was an overwhelming “yes” vote of more than 90% across the country.  


• Despite the advances made for their rights, Aborigines are still disadvantaged in many ways.  Today, Indigenous people make up 2% of the population, yet make up 12% of Australia’s homeless.  Around 40% of children in correctional facilities are Indigenous.  There are 18 Indigenous people to every non-Indigenous person in Australian jails and nearly half of all Indigenous people have a formal education below Year 10 level.