Image TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage Tile
Image size: 5120x6656 Scale: 35% - PanoJS3
Page overview thumbnail

Article text

Should We Give Citizenship
To The "Old Australians"?
By A. O. NEVILLE,
Former Commissioner
of Native Affairs In
Western Australia.
Between now and the
opening of the next ses
sion of the State Parlia
ment, much thought will
be given to the difficult
question of citizenship
for "old Australians."
Varying views on the subject
have been expressed in The
West Australian by those in
authority, representatives of
interested societies, and indi
viduals.
1 have no wish to be critical
when I say that some of these
are meaningless, and exhibit no
deep knowledge of the subject
on the part of the writers. Oth
ers have substance in them.
being thoughtful and not merely
emotional.
Citizenship, civic rights and re
strictions appear to be synonym
ous terms in the minds of the
natives, but it is the "restrictio is"
which hurt the most.
In all the mainland States, ex
cept Victoria, there now exist
embargoes-"taboos," if you like
--upon many of the actions of
the native people, and it is these
which some of them desire to
have removed, and for good rea
sons in individual cases.
Let us look at this matter of re
strictions in relation to citizen
ship. It has been said that the
aborigines of New South Wales
have gained their citizenship.
Have they? True, a person leg
ally termed an aboriginal
though there are very few true
aborigines left in that State
may exercise the franchise, but
he may not be supplied with al
coholic liquor. This latter re
striction was removed about a
couple of years ago, but almost
within a year it was re-imposed
with greater 'severity, though it
is said that exemptions from the
Act are being increasingly
granted. So they are in South
Australia where natives may
exercise the franchise, - and in
Queensland where they may
not. Many exemptions are also
cancelled for breaches of the
prerogative.
In Victoria the descendants of
some 12,000 original "old Aus
tralians" now numbering about
1,200, were released from all
controls some time in the 1880's.
but what good has it done them?
The remainder still live sub
standard lives in the city, or in
humpies and camps on the out
skirts of country towns as they
do in all States.
A few have been assimilated,
but the rest, not being prepared
at the time for so great a change
in their way of life, have not.
Victoria seems to be the only
mainland State where the col
oured people have nearly dis
appeared. You may blame the
whites generally for this posi
tion, just as they are being re
proached today-mistakenly, I
think--for not receiving the na
tives with open arms. The ab
sence of certain restrictions
combined with the lack of edu
cation and training in all mat
ters pertaining to our way of life
and on a similar plane is surely
the main reason.
Restrictions
In the Northern Territory there
are about 1,400 part-aborigines
as against about 6,000 in West
ern Australia. Yet the new
Northern Territory ordinance
releasing some of these
from special legislative con
trol is accompanied by "cer
tain restrictions." I have not yet
seen these restrictions, but if, as
I understand, they apply to those
part-aborigines still living as
aborigines, the actual number to
be released cannot be great.
'Outside the Northern Territory
those who have gained their
complete emancipation, when
visiting other parts of Australia,
must in the eyes of the law still
be regarded as subject to such
legal "restrictions" as are in
force there. Herein is seen the
anomaly of trying to make these
people legal citizens of the seve
ral States by devious methods
instead of natural born subjects
of Australia by an appropriate
revision of the Federal Constitu
tion.
Discrimination
Other coloured races within
the British Dominions are con
trolled by restrictions compared
with some of which our native
people are not so badly treated.
In the Union of South Africa
there are about 1,000,000 part
whites. The rights these people
were granted in Queen Victoria's
reign have been slowly whittled
away, discrimination weighs
them down, only a few exercise
the franchise and civic rights
hardly exist.
When the Maoris ceded their
Sovereign powers to Queen Vic
toria over a 100 years ago, they
were promised that they would
be treated in the same manner as
British subjects. The treaty then
signed implied that they became
British subjects and therefore
citizens of New Zealand. They,
too, were an immigrant race like
the British. The promise then
made to them has not wholly
been kept in their own interests
and with their consent, though
everything possible is being done
for them under an enlightened
administration.
They exercise the franchise un
der a system applicable only to
themselves, to send Maori re
presentatives to the Dominion
Parliament, The special licensing
laws affecting them which were
strictly enforced before 1948
were repealed in that year to
give the Maoris the same'rights
as Europeans. Yet, in 1951 it
was found necessary to impose
fresh restrictions, and extend the
system of prohibition orders al
ready in force.
Much of the more recent pro
gress made by the Maoris is due
to their own representatives in
Parliament who have risen to
the rank of Cabinet Ministers,
and to trained welfare workers,
both male and female, from their
own ranks.
Canadian System
The Canadian Indians, whose
affairs are controlled by the
Dominion Government and not
the Provincial (State) Govern
ments as in Australia, do not
legally become citizens until
they are enfranchised To be
come enfranchised the applicant
undergoes a period of proba
tion, and the success of his ap
proach depends upon his good
conduct and worthiness. The
supply of intoxicating liquor to
Indians not enfranchised, has
hitherto been, and still is, on re
serves,-rigidly barred. But by a
recent amendment of Canadian
law it is provided that at the re
quest of the Lieut.-Governor-in
Council of a province and fol
lowing proclamation by the Gov
ernor, Indians may be granted
the right to consume intoxicants
in accordance with the laws of
the province. Under Canadian
admministration the Indians are
increasing in numbers and pros
perity.
What does all this add up to?
That citizenship qua citizenship
( Coatlnued In Next Column.)
means little or nothing, but that
some irksome prohibitions and
restrictions have to be borne in
the process of effective assimi
lation. If you suddenly admit
into society the remainder of a
sub-standard people who have
suffered abuse in many forms
over more than a century down
to our time can you expect them
at once to rise above their for
mer environment? Isn't it al
most sure that their sense of
inferiority will be increased?
Isn't it certain too that the com
munity, with some exceptions,
will be little inclined to help
them to rise above their former
state?
Again are you not going to
make the lot of these people
harder than ever due to their
having to compete with the more
advanced, and bear as well the
insults and slights hurled at them
by the unsympathetic? All this
has happened and exists today
in Australia.
Caution Urged
As one of the proponents of the
assimilation policy I believe that
caution is advisable in approach
ing so great a change. We never
believed that it could be intro
duced in a day; it was recognised
as a long-range objective. Like
many others I am with the col
oured people in desiring to en
sure their progress, but let it be
orderly and not such as will bring
them into further disrepute. It
must raise the standard of all,
not just a few of the most pro
mising, though none judged
worthy by the highest standards
of good conduct and efficiency
should be denied the fruits of his
ability.
The tempo of this progress can
be speeded up in proportion to
our desire to have it so. Social
discrimination will continue as
long as the native people remain
far below the accepted stand
ards in education, way of life
and conduct. Eliminate these
bars and colour distinctions will
count but little. To declare every
native a citizen now will be of
no positive help; it will simply
bring about a position such as
exists in the Union of South
Africa and elsewhere, and be the
antithesis of true assimilation.
The ephemeral demand for
citizenship would disappear in
proportion to the progress made
by the native people with our
determined help because they
would themselves have proved
their claim to real citizenship.
$