Topics: Events: North West
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1868 - view
40 or 50 Aborigines come in for their “annual gift” of blankets at Maitland in the Hunter Valley. One “black lady” comes in for her blanket mounted on a very good horse with side-saddle, lady’s riding skirt. A local newspaper observes an “unusual number of children amongst whom [was] a perfect white child which at first [the correspondent] could scarcely believe belonged to our native [A]borigines
1871 - view
Newspapers in Newcastle and Maitland run stories on “Old Ned’s” struggles to hold onto the land he has long farmed at Lake Macquarie after a white man “free selects it”
1872 - view
Billy Murphy is the purported “last king of the Hunter Aboriginal people”. Of mixed descent, Billy grows up at Segenhoe, receives a land grant and is recognised with a brass king plate inscribed “Yellow Billy”
1872 - view
The following year, Billy and Annie thank “Her Majesty’s Government for granting us land” and request tools, seed, bullocks and horses to “start us”. Billy’s two requests are written in the frail hand of John McLeod who writes at the bottom of each page “God Bless Queen Victoria”
1874 - view
Billy Musclebrook and his wife Maria Freeman , their son and daughter, brother, uncles and “other Blacks” of the Segenhoe clan petition the government for land adjoining Billy Murphy’s. John McLeod also writes their requests. McLeod dies soon after his second letter on their behalf and government takes no further action
1874 - view
Willie Price asks for land in 1873 at Nelson’s Bay near Karuah, and he too is told that as an existing coastal reserve is in force, his land will be secure enough if it was held only as ‘permissive occupancy’. Although Price is unable to gain further security over the land, the Lands Department is prepared to confirm his right of occupation in 1892
1878 - view
Her entry in the Prospect St. Bartholemew Church burial register reads, “Last of the Blacktown Blacks’. Her lands at Liverpool and Blacktown are divided between her 9 surviving children
1879 - view
Mathews becomes involved with local Aboriginal people and interested in their cultural heritage
1879 - view
Blankets are distributed to Aboriginal people living in a camp on the site that later becomes the St Clair Aboriginal mission
1879 - view
Death of Hiram. He is said to be “the last full blood” to have practiced Aboriginal traditional culture connected to art work in a cave
1879 - view
Billy is charged for “feloniously” stealing from Owen Sullivan one pipe, one purse and a small amount of cash
1880 - view
The following year it advocates the establishment of a protectorate for the Aborigines. One protector for the colony: George Thornton, former MP is appointed and surveys the conditions and needs of Aborigines (Brook 1st edit, p5). Concerned about the great number of “half-castes” in the census, Thornton argues that government should limit aid to the “true Aborigines only”
1880 - view
Sarah Lewis (ex Wallace) dies
1880 - view
Lingering fear is apparent by young Aboriginal boys. This may be caused by John Henry Fleming (a Hall relative involved in the Myall Creek Massacre)
1881 - view
The Aborigines of the district assembled at the Windsor Court House on the Queen’s Birth Day, for the yearly distribution of blankets
1882 - view
Fiaschi later hires many local Aborigines from the Sackville Reach Aborigine Reserve and Italian immigrants.
1883 - view
Under the influence of the Aborigines Protection Association from 1880, small reserves are declared where Aborigines might camp if they choose and police are responsible for the government contact
1883 - view
It recommends a Bill, the first proposal put to government is: “the custody and control of [A]borigines of all ages and sexes…in like manner as a parent has the right to the control of his children of tender years”
1884 - view
Thomas Morley [is] charged by the Police with an infraction of the Vagrant Act, by being in a camp of Aborigines, at Portland Head
1887 - view
Mathews completes a record of their language which they call Darkin-nyoong then spelt as Darkinung