Liam's request for information about Elkedra provides a nice opportunity to
give a thumbnail sketch of some of the implications of the white occupation
of Indigenous lands. This is the first installment.
Elkedra is a cattle station on the south western edge of the Barkly
Tablelands of the Northern Territory. It lies on or close to the boundary
between the Alyawarre, Warumungu, Kaititj and Wakaya people.
(the following is based largely on materials contained in "A Claim to
Areas of Traditional Land by the Alyawarra and Kaititja" - Rod Hagen and
Meredith Rowell, Central Land Council, 1978)
Elkedra - the area was first "taken up" for pastoral purposes by the
Willowie Land and Pastoral Association in 1888 and stocked with 1800 head
of cattle. In 1889-90 many cattle were killed as the Aboriginal owners
sought to force off the pastoralists. Conflict continued until 1895 when
the run was abandoned. It seems likely that combined groups of Alyawarra,
Kaytetye and Wakaya people were involved. These groups had suffered heavily
20 years earlier after they attacked the Barrow Creek Telegraph station in
1872. TGH Strehlow commented that after the attack on Barrow Creek "camps
of natives were attacked with rifles not only at Barrow Creek, but in the
districts of adjacent tribes .... men , women and children were shot down
at places up to fifty miles from Barrow Creek." This was not the last time
that the indigenous people of the area were under fire from European
invaders.
In the 1890's the combined Aboriginal group were successful in driving off
the original pastoralists, but the cost was massively high, and the effect
only temporary. If you take into account the relevant population sizes,
the impact of "reprisals" on the Aboriginal people of the area concerned
were far greater than those that we see today in Kosovo, or even those of
the Nazi genocides of WW2. One report of the situation at Elkedra in 1898
indicates that, as a result of Willowie pastoral company "reprisals" for
cattle (not people) killing, there were only 45 Aboriginal men left alive,
compared to 460 women. This suggests a "casualty rate" of at least 40% of
the population! Nevertheless the Aboriginal community were successful in
keeping the pastoralist out of the area until well into the 20th century.
The NT's Chief Inspector of Aboriginals in 1918, J.T. Beckett, reported on
the area in 1918:
"The Aluari [Alyawere - RH] tribe, a neighbouring [to the Warumungu - RH]
and friendly tribe on the east, who have a number of the Warramunga married
amongst them is a really fine tribe of Aboriginies, who occupy their
country in a state of primitive savagery. This tribe many years ago when
the Frew and Elkedra Rivers were stocked by the Alawie (sic) Pastoral
Company, endeavoured to drive the settlers away by spearing cattle and
attcaking camps. According to the old men of the tribe, with whom I have
talked and white men who were in the country, the tribe suffered terribly
for their mistakes. The stock were withdrawn and the country abandoned for
20 years. When a few years ago the old Frew River Station Block was
re-occupied by Messrs Hanlon and Weldon who put cattle and horses there,
the natives met them with friendliness. A perfect understanding was arrived
at by both sides who undertook to respect each other's rights" (Report on
Aboriginals to the Chief protector of Aborigines, Darwin 1918)
A "perfect understanding" no doubt meant that the Aboriginal people of the
area were all too well acquainted with the power of the rifle.
(To be continued)
Rod Hagen
Rod Hagen
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Hurstbridge, Victoria, Australia
WWW http://www.netspace.net.au/~rodhagen
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