Mark Copland, the executive officer of the Social Justice Commission of the Catholic Diocese of Toowoomba is fighting for wage justice for Indigenous Queenslanders.
It was the week before Christmas and a woman about to give birth could not find shelter for her family. In the state archives of Queensland lies a letter written by an Aboriginal woman to the minister for Aboriginal Affairs in 1936. This letter highlights the historical injustice of unpaid wages for Aboriginal workers in Queensland.
"I am an eight caste Aboriginal. Born at Croydon near Normanton, taken to Barambah with my mother and two brothers when I was about four years old. I have been working since I was 11 years old. In the South Burnett, 18 months, Upper Burnett on a cattle station, five years, at Maryborough and at Cairns for the same people 3 1/2 years and with Dr Rushton-Smith, Blackall, four years. I also worked on a dairy farm for six months but found the work too hard. I was up at 4am and to bed at 10 or 11pm. I had a nervous breakdown.
"During that time I have written and asked for the money I earned while belonging to Barambah but have failed. In the two years I've been married I have only had £13-7-6 out of the £103-7-6 that belongs to me. The worst part of it is whenever I want my money I have to tell the protector of Aboriginals what I want it for. I don't think that is at all fair. At times it is rather embarrassing. How would you like it if when you went to your bank to draw money the manager said 'look here, Hanlon, before I let you have this you will have to tell me just why and what you want it for.
"The last time I drew out money was before Christmas. I wanted it to get some extra fruit and green vegetables — they are very dear in this town. My baby was expected just before Christmas and the doctor ordered a few extras. My husband was out of work at the time. The sergeant came to the house to see me. I am afraid the majority of Blackall people are very narrow minded. Because after the Sergeant left I was asked by the people I had rented the house from to get out because they didn't want people to know that they had someone in the house the police were after.
"We had paid our rent up until the 18 of December and my baby was to be born in a week. I hunted all over Blackall trying to get a room only for a week and as long as I live I shall never forget that nightmare experience of room hunting. Everywhere I went I got the same answer and whispered but loud enough for me to hear, 'Poor thing I'd like to take her in but the police have been after her and you never know'."
Descendants of women such as this letter writer may never receive the inheritance which is rightfully theirs. Between 1859 and 1972, close to one in ten Aboriginal people were removed for refusing to work for massively reduced wages. Queensland is now dealing with the results of this forced and large scale institutionalisation. The state Labor government has taken a courageous first step by acknowledging this injustice — the second step is yet to be taken. The current offer to Indigenous Queenslanders is not generous as argued by the state government but is much closer to an insult.
In the last year, some fair-minded Queenslanders have been sending cheques to the government as a contribution to a fair and just settlement. Some have gone as far as calculating the few hundred dollars it would cost each Queenslander to remedy this historical wrong. To date, these cheques have been returned — but maybe the initiative of these people needs to be taken a little more seriously. In recent years, Australians have helped to pay the unpaid entitlements of some workers through the Ansett levy. In Queensland we have a voluntary option of paying more for environmental energy each time we pay our power bills. If the state Labor government won't repay these savings that were withheld then surely it can provide avenues for those of us who seek justice in this matter.
[Mark Copland is completing a PHD in history at Griffith University. The topic of his research is removals of Aboriginal people in Queensland 1859 1972.]
From Green Left Weekly, January 21, 2004.
Visit the Green Left Weekly home page.