yarrabah

The I Do! Wedding Stories from Queensland exhibition at the Queensland Museum is featuring never heard before stories from Djunngaal Elders and Yarrabah community members. The exhibition features a mission style basket and commissioned wedding dress designed in partnership with Djunngaal Elders, Gunggandji descendantand Yarrabah artist Simone Arnol and Cape York Peninsula, Umpila, Djabuguy, Yirrganydji man, Bernard Singleton. With strong roots in Yarrabah and over 20 years working in Indigenous law and Native Title, Arnol has been part of the arts and fashion industry for five years. "I use strong connection to family and Country as a foundation to all my works, always keeping it grassroots while respecting the Elders, our keepers of knowledge," Arnol told NIT. She said what started out as an artistic commission of, "a perspective of Indigenous weddings for a traditional wedding ceremony" soon turned into a 12-month long process of storytelling the Yarrabah Elders narrative. "Soon into consultation with the Elders of Yarrabah we found that there was a more important story to be re-told," Arnol said. The story in question would instead shed light into the dark history of prior policies of forced protection and assimilation and how this affected cultural traditions and lore. "The girls and boys when they fell in loveâ€"they couldn't come out of the dorm in the yard to be with their boyfriend or husband ... they had to stay behind the fence," Granny Hope said. "The girls were inside the fence, [while] the boys were outside the fence." In many cases mob weren't afforded the privilege of marrying someone they loved, however this wasn't the only restriction they faced. "This impacted harshly on them as it included separate education for Aboriginal children, town curfews, alcohol bans, no social security, lower wages, State guardianship of all Aboriginal children," Arnol said. "Laws that segregated Indigenous people into separate living areas, mainly on missions, special reserves outside towns or in remote areas." That's why when first asked to do the commission, Arnol was quick to establish the true purpose. "Everything we do is a voice for our Elders ... It is not going to be a pretty dress." Source: nit.com.au/09-11-2020/1512/aboriginal-designed-wedding-dr...

Cultural practices, particularly language ceremonies and beliefs were all suppressed during these mission days. Traditional values were transformed swiftly to adopt clothing, and Christianity replaced traditional creation stories. Hunter gathering was discouraged and with the arrival of people from other cultural groups, Gungganji cultural protocols were dismissed. While the Christian missions did help save many Aboriginal people from perishing at the hands of new settlers under the Act of 1897 they controlled curfews, employment, wages, marriages, alcohol and movement outside the mission. Source: www.yarrabah.qld.gov.au/our-history-and-future/

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/