torres

The traditional people of Torres Strait are of Melanesian origin and speak two distinct languages. They are distinct from Aboriginal Australians living on the mainland. Over the past 25 years, archaeologists working in the Torres Strait have found evidence of human settlement dating back 2,500 years. Torres Strait is named after a Spanish captain, Torres, who sailed through the strait in 1606 on his way to the Philippines. For many Australians, the Torres Strait Islands are best known as the birth place of Eddie Koiki Mabo. Born on the island of Mer, Mabo became famous for his work campaigning for Indigenous land rights and for his role in a landmark decision of the High Court of Australia that overturned the legal doctrine of terra nullius ("land belonging to nobody"), which had characterised Australian law with regard to land and title. As a result of that case, the islands were the first place in Australia where Native Title was recognised under Australian law. Mabo died of cancer in 1992, at the age of 55, five months before the High Court overturned "terra nullius", which eventually led to the creation of various forms of land rights laws for Indigenous Australians. Source: The people and history of the Torres Strait Islands Published24 August 2015 www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-34037235

The situation at Hope Vale was somewhat unusual: The two missionaries Schwarz and Poland, while getting on with each other reasonably well, were entirely different natures. Schwarz, the senior missionary, was of an independent nature and a good worker, but did not see the need for reporting to the mission authorities back home. The station was never self-sufficient and continued to be a financial burden to the church. However, his spiritual work bore fruit: He established a church and school and the small congregation continued to grow. In June 1900 the government agreed to fund a school at the mission and to pay a school teacher. The new school teacher was to turn Schwarz’s life around. A year after her arrival, Mary Allen, the daughter of the Cooktown postmaster, married Schwarz on 31 May 1901. The new couple’s plans for a honeymoon in Germany were foiled by the news that Bloomfield was to be closed down and its residents assigned to Hope Valley. One year later the Mari Yamba mission was also closed down and its residents brought to Cape Bedford. Schwarz’s first daughter Grace (later Behrendorff) was born in November 1903, and his second daughter Marie (later Bennett) three years later. These two were not allowed to speak any language other than English, just as their mother taught only in English, with the result that the mission girls were noted for their fine command of the Queen’s English. Surrounded by his Australian family, and with the question of the mission language settled by government funding requirements, Schwarz gradually distanced himself from his German background. Source: missionaries.griffith.edu.au/biography/schwarz-georg-hein...

Myora Mission was established as a mission station in 1892 in the Colony of Queensland, at Moongalba on Stradbroke Island. It became an Aboriginal reserve and "industrial and reform school" in 1896, was used as a source of cheap labour, and eventually closed in 1943. On the 26 November 1892, Myora Mission was proclaimed a "Reserve for Mission", signed by Queen Victoria. "Assimilation through institutionalisation" began from October 1893, with the staff enforcing European cultural practices and values. The Mission was declared an "industrial and reformatory school" and a Mission Superintendent and Mission Matron were appointed by QAPA, but paid by the Queensland Government.[4] The older boys and girls were trained to be "made useful and profitable to the mission and to society", and punished if they transgressed. The mission later ceased to be a school, the dormitories were closed, and the children classified as orphans and removed to Deebing Creek Mission.[4] Source: www.wikiwand.com/en/Myora_Mission

Horrible history. By researching the photo collections I have discovered so many historical writings involving Indigenous peoples and first settlers. I can not stress enough how deeply I am saddened by the inhumane treatment of the First Nation peoples, especially children.