yarrabah

Music and dance are important to Aboriginal culture. They are used as part of everyday life and to mark special occasions. Songlines tell stories of the Creation and Dreamtime as Aboriginals made their journeys across the desert, while other sacred music is used in ceremonies. By singing the songs in the appropriate order indigenous Australians could navigate vast distances in the hostile desert environment. Source: developmenteducation.ie/feature/a-focus-on-aboriginal-aus...

Yarrabah Mission, now known as Yarrabah Community, was founded by Reverend John Brown (JB) Gribble in 1892 to protect the Gunggandji’s from the ongoing rampant exploitation of these people. JB fell ill shortly after he arrived so his eldest son Ernest inherited his legacy. Ernest Gribble went on to become one of the most controversial Missionaries in Australia. His career lasted for 64 years, making him the longest-serving Anglican Missionary. Gribble aspired for the Yarrabah population to take pride and control in their community. He implemented a government, formed from indigenous members, and a court (also staffed by indigenous members of the community) that monitored the behavior of the residents. Gribble also crowned a King, King Menmuny, who reigned over the Mission and looked after his people. By 1904, another mission on Fraser Island was closed and 117 residents were forcibly relocated to Yarrabah Mission. A move which was naturally resented and resisted by those involved. Mass breakouts and instances of insubordination became common so the court decided to expel the ringleaders to Fitzroy Island. Gribble secured a lease on Fitzroy Island in 1905 and the first 30 people were moved out to the new outstation ‘Kobahra’. The Kobahra residents were quick to build eight buildings including a coral church. They also planted coconuts, paw paws, mangoes, yams and other crops in an effort to become self-sufficient on the island. The settlement was closed in 1912 after residents petitioned the Protector of Aboriginals for their release. The island continued to be leased to the Yarrabah Mission for many years afterwards. While the Yarrabah Mission no longer maintained a permanent population on Fitzroy Island, it became a popular location for special occasions such as picnics and organised outings. World War II With the outbreak of war in the Pacific the Yarrabah Mission lost its’ lease. The Imperial Japanese Navy had a series of submarines patrolling our coast and attacking shipping. Cairns was the nearest main port for traffic bound to Papua New Guinea via Townsville. Due to the constant threat of attack, the No. 28 Radar Station was established on Fitzroy Island in 1942. No. 28 Radar Station monitored all shipping and air traffic approaching Cairns. Welcome Bay also served as a transient mooring for destroyers and cruisers waiting to join shipping convoys heading to Port Moresby. Between 1942 and 1945 over 100 servicemen served with the No. 28 Radar Station. In addition to the Radar Station, servicemen also manned a Wireless Signal Station and a Morse code-blinking Lighthouse. Submarine Indicator Loops spread through Welcome Bay were constantly monitored. The combination of these efforts uncovered a Japanese submarine lurking around the island in May 1943. The station monitored its movements for nine days while it avoided multiple attempts by the Royal Australian Navy to destroy it with depth charges. It finally slipped away on the 17th of May leaving the Investigating Officers at a loss as to its mission although it was theorized that it may have been dropping off or collecting spies. The World War II military base camp was on the site of the current Turtle Rehabilitation Centre. The dam constructed by the servicemen to store water can be seen at the start of the Summit track. Source: www.fitzroyisland.com/explore-fitzroy/history/

TRADITIONAL ABORIGINAL FOOD-GATHERING : TREE-CLIMBING People climbed trees for a number of reasons: To catch possums, lizards, snakes and other native animals. (These animals were also removed from trees by lighting a fire below and smoking them out, and by throwing stones at the animal, knocking it out of the tree.) To collect eggs and young birds from nests. To collect fruit and seeds from high branches. To reach native beehives for honey and wax. Beeswax was used as a seal on water containers, as a resin when making weapons, and as a fixative when making body decorations. (People didn’t always climb trees to obtain honey. Sometimes they chopped the whole tree down instead. Also, some species of native bee make hives at ground level.) To chop and strip long sheets of bark to be used for canoe-making and shelters. Throughout much of Australia, a small hatchet with a stone head was used to cut toe holds into trees to assist in climbing. In these photos, taken in the rainforests of northern Queensland, strong jungle vines (lawyer-vines or lawyer-cane) are used like ropes to assist climbing trees in search of both animals and native bee hives’ wax and honey. Source: www.aboriginalculture.com.au/tree-climbing/