Hi Nick,

No, the Mission didn't sell guns as far as I can tell. People bought them in the local towns. And as British subjects like everyone else, the thought of some impediment to their right to buy guns wouldn't have arisen.

" .... some Ngarrindjeri need them for duck-shooting .... " Yes, of course. But by the 1890s, whites were devastating the duck populations around the Lakes (i.e. for sale in Adelaide), by using what they called punt-guns, i.e. a punt or flat boat on which a shooter could lie flat and use a sort of semi-machine gun fixed on the bow, and so get up very close and bring down great numbers of birds.

Aboriginal people complained, so the government here banned the use of punt-guns, and passed the Game Act which declared 'closed seasons' for most native animals and set up Game Reserves. Aboriginal people were exempt from the restrictions of 'closed seasons' and could hunt and fish in Game Reserves, provided they did so only for their own consumption and not in order to sell any catches. That's still the law.

And before you jump in and declare that, by allowing people to hunt, fish and gather, governments were treating Aboriginal people like flora and fauna, no, Aboriginal people were allowed to exercise their traditional rights to hunt, fish and gather, no more and no less:

Some dick found out that at one time, the same Minister was responsible for the Environment and for Aboriginal Affairs. Oh, he said, so we're just part of the flora and fauna ? No, dirk-wad, the Minister for Aboriginal affairs is also the Minister for the Environment. Often ministers have multiple portfolios, especially at State level but even at Federal level. Check it out.

Joe

Hi Nick,

While we're at it, somebody mentioned kangaroo grass being grown by Aboriginal people, a nine-mile stretch of it being observed ready for harvesting by Thomas Mitchell, presumably in the late 1820s. Of course, as you would rightly point out, harvesting does not mean that it was planted by Aboriginal people, just gathered as required, as hunter-gatherers would do.

Anyway, here's the relevant bits of what Wikipedia says:

"Themeda triandra is a perennial tussock-forming[2] grass widespread in Africa, Australia, Asia and the Pacific. In Australia it is commonly known as kangaroo grass. In eastern and South Africa it is known as red grass and red oat grass, rooigras in Afrikaans. It does not do well under heavy grazing pressure, but benefits from occasional fire.[3] ....

".... Distribution

"Themeda triandra is found across Asia, Africa, Australia, and the Pacific region. Within Australia it has a widespread distribution, being found in all of the states and territories.... It grows predominantly in grassland and open woodland communities. Within Australia is a significant species in temperate grasslands in Australia, a habitat considered to be endangered or threatened in various parts of the country.

"Habit

"The species has a tufted habit and can reach up to 1.5 metres tall and half a metre across. It flowers in summer, producing large red-brown spikelets on branched stems. The leaves are between 10 and 50 centimetres long, and 2-5 millimetres wide....

"Uses

"The young growth is palatable to stock.... T. triandra seed has been used as a famine food in Africa.... It also serves as a food source for several avian species, including the long-tailed widowbird. It is also occasionally used as an ornamental plant."

Cheers,

Joe

All set for duck-shooting. The 1860 data for 6lb cannon is gunpowder charge of 1 1/4 lbs, bore 3.5 inch, muzzle velocity 1437 ft/sec.

Fire Arms Registry. NSW Police.

" Does the cannon require registration? Yes. A cannon, as described in clause 15 of Schedule 1, is classified as a prohibited firearm and requires registration. Acquisition and disposal of firearms must be conducted by a licensed firearms dealer. (Although Charles may license himself?)
SECTION I - FEE The prescribed fee for this permit is $75. Your payment must accompany the application. ', 'Permit to Acquire - 'Schedule 1 Prohibited Firearms - Safe Storage Levels 1,2."
-

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This are both US stock but UK Munitions BAE Systems are in Arlington Virginia and could do a deal. Emus will do where ducks are down-sizing.

Nick,

The gift that keeps on giving.

In the nineteenth century and beyond, Aboriginal people on waterways in South Australia often continued their hunting, but with modern technology - 15-ft boats, fishing gear, netting twine for nets, guns including shotguns. Why do you find that strange ?

As far as I can tell, no government in South Australia used cannon against Aboriginal people - is that what you're trying to get at ? It's so hard, and probably pointless, to try to understand your comments.

In South Australia, the Protector provided those boats to people on pretty much all waterways, coastal and rivers, including Cooper's Creek. One time, he ordered twenty seven boats for the people around Pt McLeay: in the indexes to his Letters that I have typed up (www.firstsources.info), you can see the names of Aboriginal people who received boats. Able-bodied people had to pay half the cost of any boats.

The Protector paid for half the cost of repairs to boats given out to able-bodied people, and all the costs of those who weren't.

He sent out about a tonne of netting twine each year. He sent a batch to the copper at Goolwa to make one big net for the people there, but the men demanded an allocation each, since they didn't want to share with any other blokes. The Protector remarked on the extreme individualism of the people there. He knocked back their request.

The men at Encounter Bay were given a much larger boat, for sea-fishing with a crew of six men: the men at Goolwa asked for a similar boat. The Encounter Bay men demanded to be paid to use the boat, so the Commission (the Protector's boss) took it off them and gave it to the Goolwa blokes.

White bastards !

Joe

So we have South Australia valued at 2 large fishing boats , small boats, bundles of twine, shotguns and bags of flour , with 1/2 paid for by the destitute peasants. Price fixed by the new residents . 1 cannon is not too much over-payment.

Hi Nick,

I think a fifteen-foot boat is not that small, and at any one time, in, say, 1890, there would have been about 120 of them in the bays and rivers of South Australia.

And frankly, no, I don't think people were destitute: in photographs, they often look quite prosperous. Since they had the complete freedom to hunt and fish and gather food, as well as - for those who were not able-bodied - to receive rations, perhaps the Lutheran missionary up in the north-east at Killalpaninna was on the button when he wrote that many of the women 'are now enormously stout'.

And of course, the able-bodied could work as well as forage, hunt and fish. And yes, at least down this way, people worked for standard wages: even during the Depression, the men refused to go off rations and onto 'susso' unless they got paid standard wages. Shearers were paid standard rates. Farm-hands were paid ordinary wages.

Thanks, Nick, for giving me these opportunities :)

Cheers,

Joe