- 11 cauld well involv3 the mononic dov,lopnont 2nd Re si)rvc 8 ) ;

o f Aboriginal Stnti;iio

(B)

ii

longur >.;riod o f working on j J b s osta'slishcd f o r thc pur;?osc: Qf and

10 arning simple s k i l l s ;
(C)
ii

gcriod of on-the- job trsising i n privnto ;r.iploymnt, with szlcar--

i e s gaing fron h a l f , t o f u l l zapronticosbip r c t c s . This schsnc. i s su-plunontcd by one of d u c a t i o n a l a i d s which i s o f J i r d c t valuc i n t: work-training ochomo. Thc Lids include r o n c d i a l rzadin;;.,

honu v i s i t s by td.nclurs, curriculur.1 plcnning t o s u i t low inconv s t u d m t s an4

honowork h d l p r s t o t;2ke tho placo of phronts handicappod by t h e i r own lnck

of initistivu a d ducation.

Progrorux toaching t c c h n i q w s a r a t o be in-

s t i t u t o d t o holp full-grown youths h a r n tho s k i l l s of l i t o r a c y .

It i s

os-

t i n a t c d it w i l l take t h r o o months t o two yonrs f o r any l o v c l t o bo attained. I n thc work-Draining canps thoro w i l l bs onc counsallor f o r o v a y f i f t u b n canjxrs. This i s
E

vdry d i f f o r c n t r a t i o t o aur own, i n tho d i s t r i -

bution o f wolfnro workurs.

(ii) Tqual choncas i n educnfion.

B~causoo f tho d i f f i c u l t y i n ovorconing

tho gap which d d v u l q s i n 1cnguag;o s k i l l s and rsriding by thc 2nd of thc t h i r d y w r af p i n e r y oductztion, scvLra1 c i t i o s t a k i n g ;2crt i n 'Chc
Unitod States' " G r d e t C i t i c s School Improvement Progranme" have cbosdn

t o concdntrzto on t h e first t h r e e or f o u r ycars o f g r i n n r y schcoling, T h i s i o bnsod on t h o w e l l confirnod high c o r r c l a t i o n bdtweon the oocio-dcononic bcckground of c h i l d r d n with t h o i r i n t o l l i g ~ n c ocnd achicvcr.iats.

It has bodn shown t h a t both i n t o l l i g o n w and a c h i s v m a n t can bo

favourably affdctdd through c a r s f u l l y plannod oqucl obroational o2Tortunities.' Nothing could bo n o m 3 d r t i n o n t t o Aboriginal aolicy r m k thcn ~ Its a s s m p t i o n s have b m n t u s t o d 2nd Modical Collago Dopmtnont of

t h i s kind of rdsosrch 2nd p r o g r a m o .

uxmincd by D r . Martin Dbutsch of t h e N.S.W. Psychictry.

Tho d i s r i b i l i t i o s o f c h i l d r e n f r o n tlu lowest s o c i a l cnd ccononic group3 arc surinariscd roughly as f o l l o w s : . .

( A ) No l z c k of ctqoricnces, but l i t t l a h e l p i n i n t o g r a t i n g then r-nd

i n 'wing ncdo a.wcr\: o f . s i n i l a r i t i o s , and diffaronccs.

(B) Lack tha usual nidrili? c l n s s v e r b a l i s o t i o n s , t h a t i s , c b i l i t y

_ I _

-------

--

---- .-

.- -

1 HJJW Society, 2nd Septonbor, 1965, 3.21-2.

- 1s t o e x 2 r e s s thenselves, 2nd t o u n d e r s t a d thc words used i n lessons

(C) Little e x s r i e n c e in list-ning,

2nd

r?

s h r t a t t m t i o n s l c n , due

t o growing

U?

i n warreno of oveIerwded rooLis, and conversations

i n which they do not p a r t i c i p t e .

(D) These c h i l d r e n o f t e n n i s s out on kindergarten because o f tho

ex2ense and d i f f i c u l t y t o t h e i r parents, cou2led with t h e ents' lack of interest.

( E ) They c r e cccustoned t o l e s s r e c l lp-ngucge
(GS

3p-r-

c g - i n s t shrugs ?,rid

g e s t u r e s ) 2s means of conuunicntion.
i, clcssroon s i t u L t i o n hes been e x a e r t l y designed t o conTensate f o r

theso diszbilities.

The i d e c o f thci schem is:

" i f these children are t o

be

p a r t o f c nodelm i n d u s t r i c l country, they n u s t ?xei12loynblo9 and C51e

bd

t o f e e l t h a t t h y t o o can

successful.

Brains and hcrd work are no Children n u s t bo

longer c su3stitutG for b r o i n s an3 scleablo s k i l l s .

given thL: climcc t o be ncadenicnlly successful, f o r t h i s i s now t h e r o a l p e r e q u i s i t e t o t r c i n i n g , education and j o b s . ground t o t h i s

S U C C ~ S S . ~ ~ ~

L d t ' s givi: t h m tho back-

(Q

>awe

n~z~n-~t-_.
3 1i t c i n

(il--

-Sgc-i*z& -d&*gc~i&~;at& has becoue an issue i n Great

as well as t h e United States.2

The e n t i r e h i s t o r y of t h e x n s r i c a n C i v i l

Right6 l e g i s l a t i o n d e n o a s t r a t e s t h a t t h e l a w can g r e a t l y influence cloral

attit-&, and r e s u l t i n g s o c i a l conduct.
A Uaj.al D i s c r i n i n a t i o n and 1;icitement Act would have such an ef-

f e c t , evsn i f seldon invoked.

One nay be sure t h e t i t would be seldon

iI--

voked except wher.e the offence i s s e r i o u s and the prosecution had p r o o f of

guilt, beyond a l l rassonable doubt.

The main e f f e c t of such an ;Act woul6. b c existin& law

t o -iio -d i f y t ~ ~ n ~ r ~ ~ ~ a l _ - ~ ~ sIln_-an a i i ? area-xhese-the roval

ie
The

-inadequLt2.

It must be emphasized t h a t B r i t i s h l a w i s inadequate.

l a w knows no d i s t i n c t i o n of r a c e between one c i t i z e n and another, but i t

does nothing t o remove - - d i s c r i n i n a t i o n even i f i t does not c r e a t e it.

. u I

Both statute and comon l a w are d i r e c t e d t o t h e p r e s e r v a t i o n of

1 l?ew Ssoiety, 2nd Saptonber,

1965r p.22.

Ibid,

3rd Decenber, 1964, p.9.

13

d u t i e s of an i n n k e e p r t o t r a v e l l e r s could t h e o r e t i c a l l y invoke l e g c l act i o n (which would apply t o the r e f u s a l t o serve Aborigines i n h o t e l s ) , i n

a l l o t h a r ai-ezs o f l i f o , enploynent, housing and places o f anusenent and

r e c r e a t i o n go unregulated, as does r a c i s t incitement. i n & t i o n does e x i s t i n t h i s s t a t e , i n all of these areas.

'rle
--9

But racial d i s c i k 8

require a s t a t u t ..-.body -concerned with d i s--c r i n i--n a t o r x .--- practi-. -._---.- . -8

ces

as p a r t o f

wkole l c g i s l a t i v e prograrxie.

The Conrnittez would do w,.,l?.

t o i n v e s t i g a t e the Isgal a c t i v i t y i n t h i s a r e a , undertaken i n t h e United S t a t e s , Grerit B r i t a i n and South A u s t r a l i a .

(i i )

Inner C ---.---

itx- H - -o u s a .

The B r i t i s h work discussed i n tile

journal focuses tha i s s u e s involved i n f a c i n g up t o the "zones o f stagnatie.:'. inhabited by Sydney Lborigines. Thd q u e s t i o n of whcther t h e r e i s r a c i a l

d i s c r i m i n a t i o n i n thz proccss of a c q u i r i n g houses, what k i n d s o f s i t u a t i o n s thay a r e placed i n with r o s p e c t t o r e n t and a n e n i t i e s is important.

Does
;i

New A u s t r a l i a n who s e c u r e s a large o l d housu w i t n a s h o r t period of l e a s e t o run, s s t t i n g a p a t t e r n o f uulti-occupation and i n t i n i d a t i o n o f Aborigincl tenants, as has bean r e p o r t e d by t h e Foundation f o r Aboriginal Affairs, thereby s z t the p a t t e r n f o r an unfavourable s o c i a l s i t u a t i o n ? Such i n v e s t i g a t i o n s must be puisued, and would nean t h e rocognition of Aboriginal problcns q u i t e o u t s i d e the s t a t i o n s and r e s e r v e s .
It would

r e q u i r e going beyond s t a t i s t i c s and a d m i n i s t r a t i v e work, t o a l l k i n d s of f a u i l y s i t u a t i o n s , which would have t o be examined for p a t t e r n s so as t o onable an asscssnont of how w e l l the v a r i o u s wolfaro agencies and n e z s u r s s can be expected t o help.
I t would mean a l s o , an oxanination of the pc?ttcrns

o f s o c i a l i n t s r c o u r s e c x i s t i n g i n towns, and t h e e x t e n t o f Aboriginal p c r t i -

c i p a t i o n i n the town's s o c i a l l i f e , and an endeavour t o increasa and e n r i c h

it.
Only then w i l l the govzrnnent's p o l i c y of " a s s i n i l a t i o n " be t r u l y

1: a a l i z e d ,

( e ) "Repatriation" , --

-- ---

I n tho long run, t h e kind of p r o v i s i o n t h a t may b3 naccssary f o r . thc Aboriginos nay nocd t o nove from the t r a d i t i o n a l p r o t o c t i v c l e g i s l c t i o n , ( t h a t i s s t i l l with us i n t h c s p e c i a l p o l i c e r i g h t s and d r i n k i n g laws t h a t apply on S t a t i o n s , and nowhero o l s o ) , t o something more akin t o t h e kind of p r o v i s i o n made f o r t h e r e p a t r i a t i o n of ex-scrviccment
1 I b i d , 1 2 t h August,

----

--

a f t e r Vorld War 11.

-------.

- I

1965, p.13.

- 14 The nain f e a t u r e s of t h i s w a x , o f c o u r s ~ ,f u l l - t i n e r s - a s t a b l i s h r x n t cour-'

scs with w p h a s i s on v o c a t i o n a l p r e p a r a t i o n and q u k l i f i c n t i o n s , and assist-

m c e i n o b t a i n i n g acconnodation and lend. Re-establishment b J n o f i t s a d n i n i s t d r e d 5y the r e p a t r i a t i o n c o m i s sion, r e l e v a t t o Aborigines, include: The provision of t o o l s of t r a d e and a q u i p u ~ n t , where necessary t o the i n d i v i d u a l 1 s enploymnt

Re-establishnent l o a n s t o enGblo i n d i v i d u a l s t o e s t a b l i s h thensolves i n business p r a c t i c e s , on the l m d , o r i n a trade. Advances t o n e e t t h e t r a n s p o r t a t i o n expenses when an i n d i v i d u a l takes up t r a i n i n g , enploynent, a business, or settlemont 9n t h e land. Perhaps t h e most s i g n i f i c a n t and r e l e v a n t since t h e Aborigines :-re predominantly rural dwellers, 2re t h e p r o v i s i o n s o f t h e War S e r v i c e s Fund Settlement Act 1945.
It i s s i g n i f i c a n t t h a t only about

5.55

of t h e expend-.

i t u r e on such p r o v i s i o n went t o a d m i n i s t r e t i v c c o s t s i n the y e a r 1953-4, while a t p r e s e n t sono 49% of the Aboriginal Welfare Board expsndituro i s used i n a d n i n i s t r a t i v e c o s t s .

(4)

The s i g n i f i c n n c c of t h e suggested progrannos (and t h e i r cost

t o tho taxpayer),cannot bo ignored i f this s t a t o i s t o make a p o s i t i v e aid r a d i c a l l y nodern approach t o tha problans of Aborigines. I n s t e a d of treat-

i n g Aborigines % problons, l o t out Govcrnnont r a t h s r adopt t h e c t t i t d o tlr2-t t h e y are h m a n beings, s u s c e p t i b l e t o t r a i n i n g , cmploynent and s o c i a l p a r t i c i p a t i o n i n the A u s t r a l i a n connunity, i f p n u i n c and ( i n i t i a l l y ) cxponsivc comnunity planning i s enacted.
I t i s not only a debt owed t o the Aborigines

a f t c r a c c n t w y and a h a l f of subsistence provision, but an c x c i t i n g cxp3rinunt i n t h c i n p r o v ~ n c n to f h m a n r c l a t i o n s , and r a c e r c l a t i o n s . Lccording t o a noted c r i t i c o f A u s t r a l i a ' s Aboriginal p o l i c i e s ,
7 . Z.Ho Stanner,

A u s t r a l i a n n a t i v e p o l i c y i s a c u r i o u s n i x t u r c o f high i n t e n t i o n , and l a u d a b l e o b j e c t i v e s ; almost unboliz,mbly m a n f i n a n c e ; a n i n c r e d i b l y bad l o c a l z d n i n i s t r a t i o n , and an o b s t i n a t e concentrat i o n on l i n e s o f p o l i c y which one hundred and f i f t y y c a r s of experience havo nado suspoct. 1

1 Dr. W.E.H.

X3.B.

Stannor "Some A u s t r a l i a n s Tzke Stock" quoted by Foxcroft, L u s t r a l i a n N a t i v G Policy, p.155.