A.O. Neville, a man of his times. When I watched 'Rabbit Proof Fence' for the first time, with the portrayal of Neville in the movie, that's how the character came across to me. But if you feel others seen him as a "bad guy" maybe that's a bias on your part.

BTW the Queensland Labor government spent three years in negotiating the settlement of claim with Aboriginal people. Three years seems a long time if Labor is as you claim; " (looking) particularly Labor governments, would want to sweep all of this Aboriginal history stuff under the nearest carpet, no matter whether there is any truth in it or not. Fund it and piss it off."
Surely carpet sweeping can been done in a lot less time than three years.

I seriously asked about those WA acts of parliament. Did any Aboriginal Protector or any person with government authority ever refer to those laws to justify the treatment of Aboriginal people? I assume they did.

Paul,

It may need some explanation as to why, when those three little girls got back to Jigalong from Moore River (I think, by following the Meekatharra Road and getting lifts most of the way, often with Rabbit Department workers), why Neville didn't simply wait at the Jigalong end, and take those kids straight back to Moore River, if he was such a bastard.

How come he didn't use the police at all, anywhere along the thousand miles from one place to the other ? Pretty obviously, those kids would have been heading back to Jigalong ? And do you really think that local newspapers wouldn't have contacted, say, The Westralian, to send out correspondents to track the girls ? Surely it would ha ve been a big story ? So how come no references on 'Trove' ?

As it happened, they WERE back at Moore River when they turned eighteen.

I think he had far more on his plate than that single issue.

Joe

Surely carpet sweeping can been done in a lot less time than three years.
Paul1405,
It's coming up with the money that takes the time. Around our area some huge farms have been handed back to the indigenous for many millions to the Taxpayers of Qld.
I haven't heard of any of the receiving communities going off welfare & living off the farms as the previous farmers did !

Paul,

I wonder if it's just coincidental that, in the same year, 1932 (and in about the same months, September/October) as those three girls are supposed to have fled from Moore River, there was a War against emus in the same region:

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

AND one of Arthur Upfield's first 'Boney' novels was also set in that region, centring on Burracoppin (yes, there is such a place), and focussing on the Rabbit (i.e. Emu) Fence. You can date Upfield's 'Boney' novels fairly well, and lo and behold, the one relating to Burracoppin and the Rabbit fence ('Mr Jelley's Business') starts off in about September 1932.

Busy times !

Joe

Hi Paul,

A school in NSW is changing the names of its Houses to Aboriginal names.

I don't know about other schools but when I went to Penrith State/Primary School, more than 65 years ago, the Houses all had Aboriginal names - Nardoo, Wandoo, Mulga and Wilga. I think I was in Mulga, the red one anyway.

Plus ca change ....

Joe

Yes, my granddaughter's school has the same thing. Sounds better than the red, blue, green etc.

I knew you were a red from an early age. I'm sorry to hear the Mulga house did poorly in all things at your school, it improved the year after you left.

BTW, what were you doing out in the mulga anyway?