2021

The community of Cherbourg, formerly known as Barambah, is located in the South Burnett district of south-east Queensland. According to research conducted by anthropologist Norman Tindale, Cherbourg is situated on the traditional lands of the Wakka Wakka Aboriginal people.[ In 1843, Barambah station was taken up by the pastoralists J S Ferriter and Edmund Uhr. The arrival of the pastoralists led to the dispossession of local Aboriginal people and widespread frontier violence. In the Wide Bay and Burnett districts, 28 squatters and shepherds were killed by Aborigines between 1847 and 1853. By 1850, the squatters had called for Native Police protection; in the interim, reprisal killings by the squatters continued. By 1853, a report from the Burnett District stated that: ‘this district is looking well, the blacks are perfectly quiet, sheep all healthy, and greatly on the increase…the native police are most efficient.’ [9] After the hand over to the Queensland Government, living conditions and facilities at Barambah failed to improve and the Aboriginal residents of Barambah lacked adequate housing, sanitation, education and medical facilities. They were issued basic rations by the government, but the quality of the food was often poor.[16] As a result of these factors, Barambah suffered a high death rate in its initial decades, and epidemics of tuberculosis, whooping cough, dengue fever and measles were regular occurrences at the reserve.[17 Government control was also increasingly exerted through the establishment of the dormitory system for Aboriginal children at Barambah. The Reformatory Schools (Industrial) Act 1865 authorised the government to remove ‘neglected’ Aboriginal children from their families and raise them in state controlled dormitories. The first girls’ dormitory building at Barambah was built in 1909 and a boys’ dormitory was completed in 1910. The first dormitories at Barambah had no beds or mattresses and the children slept on the floor. Over time, the dormitory system at Barambah was expanded to include older girls and mothers with young children. Source: www.qld.gov.au/firstnations/cultural-awareness-heritage-a...

Some Aboriginal people work for the settlers. They are dressed in European clothes, fed European food, and live in camps near the homestead. They play a vital role in the development of the Queensland pastoral industry. The owners of Booubyjan had a good relationship with the Aboriginal people who lived and worked on the station. They commissioned FW Whitehouse to paint the portrait of Cobbo, which was hung on the homestead. Source: cherbourgmemory.org/booubyja-cobbo-at-booubyjan-station-1...

Bedourie is a historic town in Channel Country, with a rich past and a bright future. Meaning ‘dust storm', Bedourie was originally inhabited by the Wangkamahdla people. In more recent times, white settlers realized the potential of the district for cattle production, and profitable stations were established. Source: www.thediamantina.com.au/bedourie#:~:text=Bedourie%20is%2....

Bedourie to the border now known as Wangkamahdla country after native title win ABC North West Qld / By Kemii Maguire Posted Sat 17 Jul 2021 at 6:30amSaturday 17 Jul 2021 at 6:30am, updated Sat 17 Jul 2021 at 11:03am * The Wangkamahdla people have won native title to 3 million hectares of outback Queensland * The land will encompass Bedourie, seven cattle stations, and parts of the Simpson Desert and Munga-Thirri National Park * The determination ends a six-year legal battle in the Federal Court It's been a six-year legal battle but native title rights have been won for more than three million hectares of land in outback Queensland. Land in and around the central-west town of Bedourie spanning to the Northern Territory border was recognized in the Federal Court this week as Wangkamahdla country. The native title will encompass seven cattle stations, one-fifth of the Munga-Thirri National Park, and parts of the Simpson Desert, Cravens Peak, and Ethabuka Nature Reserve. Cattle stations include Glenormiston Station, Gleneagle Station, Sandringham Station, Cluny Station, Kamaran Downs, and parts of Adria Downs and Marion Downs. It has also been approved for a combination of exclusive and non-exclusive rights. Wangkamahdla woman Avelina Tarrago said the native title win felt surreal. Her family had been involved with the native title claim before she was born, but she said this individual case had been in the courts since early 2016. "It's unique that this year's NAIDOC is talking about healing country, and that's something that resonates with me for this determination." Ms. Tarrago said the land rights would make it easier for Wangkamahdla people to hunt, fish, collect bush foods, and perform ceremonies on country. "As you can appreciate, it's quite a remote area. Not everyone has the benefit to live on country," she said. "So this makes it easier for our mob to visit our sacred sites. "It's sad that some of our elders are not here to see this outcome." The rights will be handled by the Mulligan River Aboriginal Corporation, named after the river that runs through Wangkamahdla country. Source: www.abc.net.au/news/2021-07-17/wangkamahdla-native-title-...