The Black Armband view of history makes a virtue out of disregarding obvious comparisons with general conditions for similar others at the time. Convicts (Lags) were transported in chains and in horrendous conditions (being ships crew wouldn't have been a party either),

http://members.iinet.net.au/~perthdps/convicts/res-08.html

http://www.ironbarkresources.com/slaves/whiteslaves10.htm

and some worked in chains after arrival. For example,

"The colony of Van Diemen's Land was established in its own right in 1827 and officially became known as Tasmania in 1856. In the 50 years from 1803–1853 around 75,000 convicts were transported to Tasmania. By 1835 there were over 800 convicts working in chain-gangs at the infamous Port Arthur penal station, which operated between 1830 and 1877"

http://www.australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/convicts-and-the-british-colonies

Paul1405 conveniently disregards all of that. It doesn't suit the activists' jaundiced view of Australian history.

None of that calls into question but rather could support Joe's (Loudmouth's) very interesting observation about the practicality of light neck chains to prevent aboriginal convicts from escaping while under shorthanded supervision.

Not facts that guvvy grants might be allocated for research though. The relevant departments of universities would be aware of that.

A disturbing report by The University of Adelaide on the practice of chaining Aboriginals in Australia.

A few points from the report;

# chains were used on them (Aboriginal people) in policing and prisons from the early colonial period well into the twentieth century.

# In 1788, Governor Arthur Phillip instructed that an Aboriginal person (Arabanoo) be captured after he rejected Phillip’s offer to live with him. Arabanoo was caught in December 1788 and held in restraints for up to three months

# Police were paid an amount per prisoner, and brought in prisoners, witnesses and children using chains,

# Between the mid-1800s and early 1900s, an Aboriginal prisoner could anticipate being ‘neck chained’ from the day they were arrested until the day they left prison, sometimes for two to three years or longer,

# by the twentieth century, the contentious practice of neck chaining Aboriginal people in policing and prisons became a point for concern about, and criticism of, the treatment of Aboriginal people.

# the use of neck chains on Aboriginal prisoners was not phased out until the 1940s, and was still used informally in some areas until the 1960s

All serious allegations of unconscionable treatment of Aboriginal people, even by the standards of the 19th, and the first half of the 20th century.

http://www.adelaide.edu.au/news/news75642.html

Paul1405,

So are you apologising and proposing to do what to make amends, because it was all your fault?

Or are you working up your demands and victim status?

Tough times back when. You should also be apologising and taking action to make up for your role in Forced Adoption affecting the general population and up to very recently,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forced_adoption_in_Australia

and for your role in the cruel, shabby treatment of Wards of the State, the Forgotten Australians,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forgotten_Australians

Odd (no, it isn't really!) how you always forget the thousands from the mainstream population affected by Forced Adoption and the many hundreds of Forgotten Australians.

Don't they have any cachet as victims with the serially protesting Trotskyist Greens?

Hi Paul,

Yes, probably all true, at different times and different places. I don't think chains were used in South Australia, except perhaps for all prisoners on work-gangs.

By comparison, in SA, the last Aboriginal prisoner hanged was executed in 1862; the last non-Aboriginal prisoner hanged was executed in 1964. Make of that what you will.

So what do we do about it now, apart from acknowledging it all (which is the point of my web-site actually) ? Otherwise what's the point ? Everybody in the nineteenth century were bastards, is that it ? We, here in the twenty-first century, are pretty much all fundamentally different people, good and pure (except for Liberal supporters). No, I don't follow that line: they were us, and we are them. Same people, in different circumstances.

BTT: I hope that all of that past dreadful history is not going to be used as some sort of back-door, implicit justification for child abuse in remote communities ? Now ? Not 150-200 years ago, but NOW ?

Paul, nothing justifies child abuse. Nothing justifies criminal acts. Nothing justifies the brutal treatment of Aboriginal people, especially women and kids, even by Aboriginal men. And certainly not in 'communities' which experiences colonialism etc., least of all. Move on and face the realities of NOW.

Cheers,

Joe

Hi Joe,

"So what do we do about it now, apart from acknowledging it all (which is the point of my web-site actually) ? Otherwise what's the point ? Everybody in the nineteenth century were bastards, is that it ? We, here in the twenty-first century, are pretty much all fundamentally different people, good and pure (except for Liberal supporters). No, I don't follow that line: they were us, and we are them. Same people, in different circumstances."

I agree, acknowledge the rights and wrongs of the past, learn from it where you can, and move on. With Aboriginal people the focus must be the future, as it should be for all of us. I want to see a unified Australia, not a divided country, with a them and us mentality as so many seem to believe in.
"Everybody in the nineteenth century were bastards, is that it?" Certainly not, Cook, Phillip etc, people to be admired for their deeds, as well as their human qualities. If attitudes and practices directed towards Indigenous peoples in the past,were more enlightened, more humane, if society had been fairer all round then we would be better off today, but it was not, and we cannot change the past. What we can do is improve the future.

Joe, nothing justifies child abuse. Nothing justifies criminal acts. Nothing justifies the brutal treatment of Aboriginal people, especially women and kids, even by Aboriginal men. And certainly not in 'communities' which experiences colonialism etc., least of all. Move on and face the realities of NOW

History is a fascinating subject, but it is not the be all, and end all, to solving the social, political and economic problems of today. Learning from it might help somewhat, but it is not the stand alone answer in itself.