Where Blackfellas Met Their Waterloo
Displays of civic pride are prominent out on the Eyre Peninsula.
The West Coast locals paint their colours on buildings, on watertanks, and even on the roads. The winners of the regional footy competition celebrate their premiership victories by painting messages on the monolithic watertanks west of Port Augusta. Each victorious team of what seems the last two decades has proudly announced its premiership victory upon the tanks. The roads around the towns of the peninsula often bear similar celebratory graffiti.
In Elliston you can see the largest mural in the southern hemisphere. Quite a few buildings in Elliston have murals but the record setter is the town hall. In another display of civic pride each external wall is painted with a pictorial depiction of the town’s history. There are factual events in the town’s history depicted in the mural and actual people are represented in the image.
Elliston is about halfway up the west coast of the Eyre Peninsula, midway between Streaky Bay and Port Lincoln. It’s a typical South Australian town – bone dry and dusty. All the buildings are old and those that aren’t sporting murals have walls of sunbleached limestone. Everything in Elliston has a white ‘overexposed’ appearance, like faded 35mm photos.
The two main features of Elliston are Waterloo Bay and Blackfellas.
Waterloo Bay is the reason for the town’s existence as it is the only deepwater port between Streaky and Lincoln. Back in the day boats used to harbour there and pick up wool from the local farmers. Wool being the first economy of the area back when the topsoil was intact and there was grass for sheep to feed on. Nowadays the only farming is wheat and even that is sparse; the rain too infrequent and the soil too rocky and infertile.
Blackfellas is a couple of kilometres north of town and rates as one of the better lefts in Australia. It has a reef outside the main ledge that focuses the swell as it rounds Cape Finiss, the effect not unlike the outside reefs at Pipeline where the energy from each swell line is drawn together and the magnified energy then targeted toward the inside reef.
The name Blackfellas comes from a massacre that occurred in 1849 during the frontier wars when white settlers wanted to occupy and farm the land around Elliston. The exact details are subject to speculation though general consensus is that in an act of retribution white settlers drove approximately 250 Aborigines off the cliffs adjacent to the wave. Those that didn’t jump were speared or shot.
Waterloo Bay – just to the south of Blackfellas – derives its name from the same event. A dark humoured local announced that, during the massacre, the local mob ‘met their Waterloo’, and the name stuck. Thus the two geographical features for which Elliston owes its existence and ongoing popularity refer to a massacre of the Aboriginal population.
But don’t look for the massacre on the record-breaking mural – it ain’t there. I’ve walked around the town hall and seen all the events deemed worthy of recording, but the massacre – a defining event in the town’s history – isn’t among them. In fact no blackfellas appear in the mural at all.
Granted it’s an unsavoury incident and may seem out of place in a mural that celebrates white pioneers with a Protestant work ethic building a town out of the desert sand. However it’s not the only example of the massacre being overlooked or ignored. In 1970 a proposed memorial of the massacre was rejected by the local council on the grounds that there was no proof that it took place.
These days the Elliston massacre has been formally acknowledged, but as yet there is no memorial to those that were killed. The only tangible reminders of the event being the name of a surf break and the bay behind it.
Comments
this business with locals who dont like their wave to be named is pathetic. blacks is one of the heaviest waves in oz and most surfers arent going to travel all that way to risk their necks any way. sandon point is another wave that has a similar problem. i notice when pictures of it are published that it is referred to as a break near wollongong. grow some balls publishers. as for the history wars in elliston. if there was a massacre in the area, admit to it. it is time surfers and the whole surfing industry grew up.
The Whip despise's red neck locals. What is really strange is that these hardcore locals still have to use Swellnet, so core dude.
The whole anti photo deal is like so 1980's dudes, like get over it. We all know where your wave is but we ain't coming anytime soon. Let's see, I can spend time in Indo with fun waves and warm water or hang out with you hillbilly's. Hhhmmmmmm, what do I do?
Nothing scarier than internet tough guys, even better when it's from some blow in wanna be local.
The Whip surfs Coolangatta with four hundred people and still gets tubed meanwhile you fags get your knickers in a twist when a couple of travellers paddle out at your local.
You will die lonely and uneducated in your hole of a town whilst trying to suppress thoughts of what could have been if you just opened your pot affected mind.
its Standon point isnt it bro.?
and its no where near as heavy as blacks....
sucky as fuck but doesnt have the precarous bottom surface
but rather sand.
As a proud West coast surfer with both Indigenous and English/Irish ancestry, it is obvious that a few of you have not realised the point that Stu is making.
A reminder of the massacre in Elliston does not have to be a mural of the actual incident but an acknowledgement of some other form that it did occur, ie. a plaque, and an expression of how in the 21st century we should all move on from these memories and reconcile.
And as for publishing an article on Blackfellas? Come on guys! Half the population of surfers don't want to travel here anyway because of the reception they receive from the 'locals' in and out of the water - half of whom are from Adelaide and surrounding areas or interstate. If you surf, you know where it is. Get over it! The west coast is never going to turn into a surf circus like the east coast or around Margs. It is too inhospitable, desert-like, and bone dry for the average person.
Don't get me wrong, I am from the EP, and I love it! I love how I can go surfing and it may only be me out there or I know everyone there. I love how you can have the whole beach to yourself. I love the desert sands. When I leave the place, I have a yearning for it and need to get home.
but some people never will have that! cause they will never go there or like it. So just accept the fact that there is going to be passing surfers who may return or may not. They will just remember the sic waves they got and possibly, if some of you pull your head out of your a..e, awesome memories of the cultured locals.
do your homework blacks is blackfellows jetty which is the rock on the left protruding out towards the sea that looks like a jetty and was named after an old family that frequented this spot .their were 13 in family an they were on this rock one day and one said you look like a mob of blacks sitting on end of jetty.have news paper article fron 1930s to show name as such has been shortened over years. if aborigines had gone over cliffs it was south of elliston
@ the whip
the whip is obviously a legend
the whip pulls hard!
the whip in the third person coming to a mental institute near you hahaha
@ lily
fair call, i reckon a plaque style acknowledgment on a monument @ the site is a great idea,
i totaly agree its long overdue,
as for stu's acticle i guess it rubbed me up the wrong way , i dispise racism ,i too have ties to the area and i didnt like the way the article read,i agree race relations is a worthy talk topic.
i love elliston and its home to a lot of great people.
not all dark humoured/redneck wankers
theres always gonna be a few in there but the majority are cool
as for printing the quote from this guy about waterloo bays namesake
i dont think thats how it got its name
growing up on ep and learning to surf on the west coast i've seen a lot of loose characters staking there claim on the west coast and far west,many came from interstate and made it a pain in the arse to get waves without gettin ya car broken into/vandalized told to f#ck off even bashed, however most groms that came up through the ranks learnt surf eticate from the local gurus - the blowin tools come and go
and the crew we looked up to taught us to keep the secret spots secret, not to bomb the lineup with a crowd,and to look after the area .
one thing on the dont list is to publish photos of the west coast on the net or magazines
sure everyone knows where blacks is its getting more and more exposure but if everyone is complacent what gets published next?
part of this coasts beauty is its mystery if your not from the area you dont have the right to come in and spoil that.
99% of the time if you travel solo or with one other and you respect the area and people you'll have no worries probably better odds than traveling the east coast.
if you need to take photos its easy enough to withhold the identity and area of the wave,
to me a photo of a wave with no identity is so much better it keeps that mystery of the search alive!
@ lily I wasnt saying black fellows is how waterloo bay got its name but flackfellows jetty which is ajacent to anxious bay not waterloo bay . Then we have toms beach ,greens crane ,purfy point ,black hill,fenceline after some locals including blackfellows jetty. then after the british ,anxious bay,wellesley,wellington,flinders island,waldergrave,waterloo bay of which is battle of waterloo.As for grain growing,barley is the prominent grain grown in our wonderful area,maybe you should come winter time to see how green and wonderfull this area can get.
Contemporary Aboriginal research is showing that there may have been more than one 'Elliston massacre'.
http://mike-servethepeople.blogspot.com.au/2007/09/black-armband-2-ellis...
The late 1800's was a period of many massacres of aboriginies on Eyre Peninsula, Elliston was just one of them. There is a whole chapter dedicated to treatment of aborigines in Frank Master's book "Saga of Wangaraleednie" It is likely the passive Nauo people, who lived along the coast near Elliston, were blamed for actions caused by the more aggressive Barngarla or Kokatha people and retribution was taken against the innocent inhabitants. The only real massacre at Blacks was when Mark Archer drove his ute over the cliffs in the 1980's, its still buried down at the bottom of the cliff. Unless your name is Henderson or Newton you are a blow in at Elliston, even Mick Tomlinson blew in about 1975 from Adelaide. Archer blew in from Sydney in the 1980's to start a bakery there. I have family roots going back to the early 1900's in Colton, most of them are in the cemetery there. If you want to criticize Swellnet and Nettle for blowing open the west coast you've got to include Smucko and Fredo as well.
you know what nat old..u must be a henderson or a newton then ay??..you better include schmucker/ mcdonald/williams/roberts from conical hill well before your ancestors trickled into colton....for them that dont know Conical hill it was the first property on the westcoast with sheep and its inland a few cliks from sheringa...my ancestors were the trailblazers there and i presume they had sumthn to do with the terrible incidents with the aboriginal folk along the west coast...a memorial or recognition would be in line with the rest of these types of atrocities around the world!!
why is blowing open the westcoast even filtering into a story as sensitive as this...easy fellas!
go to other forums to comment on the localism topic and keep this one a bit sacred....see ya on the other channel!
very interesting read PRG1972 thanks for sharing it with us.
Smucko - no not a Henderson or Newton but descendant of Ford/Whitehead/McCracken who were in the Colton-Bramfield area and I think even out as far as the Wedge. I was born in Lincoln but mum was born at Elliston and lived at Oakfield. I was referring to the immediate Elliston locality say from Colton, Walkers Rocks and down to Bramfield in my previous post. I'd better check the history again cos I thought the first sheep station was Wangaraleednie over at Cleve which was settled in the 1850's by the McKechnie brothers from Scotland. I recall there were some very early setters pushing up from Lincoln at that time who had trouble with aborigines spearing sheep. I reckon Charles Darke was speared at Koongawa around 1844 so settlement occurred soon after his forays into the middle of Eyre Peninsula. I remember being told by 90 old Alec Miller in 1970, that his father was involved in the so called Elliston massacre. The people over there who think that everything is top secret obviously haven't woken up to the fact that Google earth is available. We live in a technological era whether you like it or not and google earth, the internet and jet ski surfing is here to stay. At least we've moved on from pushing the indigenous inhabitants over the cliffs!
i dont think our heritage gives us any right to own surf or push people over a cliff my friend. Do what you want and do it well...dont oppress anybody along the way.
You won't get any arguments from me about that but the blow ins just don't get it. I put up with their intimidation for years but despite most of them having black belts the exchanges were only verbal. Maybe they knew I had a better lawyer? I thought you came from out Ucontitchie way and not Sheringa? I think the monument is a good idea, maybe this thread could be a catalyst to get something happening?
maybe you were trying to oppress them , is that why you had a hassle with the "blow ins"....what do you mean they were "intimidating" you?....doesn't sound like friendly touro's to me.
dads family are from ucontitchie/cootra way and mums started out at conical hill....luckily for us, both familys migrated north and west to the coast with one of my great great grandmas being the first white girl born west of penong.....thank goodness they headed back south to the wave haven of streaky and surrounds and we are mostly all still there today.
a monument or a public apology would definitely be in line if the community down there want it......there was a lot of comments on this story from the WC when it first came to air.
Feel sorry for me stinkrail?? whys that/?....u shouldnt,im sik....what do you wanna do in your spare time?? I sit on forums? haha
pussy...were u the kid that flogged at school or sumthn? takn your revenge out?? easy
Interesting how this exchange about Elliston and Blackfellas locals has started up again after a 2 year break. I live and surf at Ballina on North Coast of NSW. Our town like many had unfortunately had massacres of local Indigenous people. Most white folk know little but the scars are still deep. Murals etc. don't do much to repair this. It is about the big picture of reconciliation.
On to the locals matter, I surfed Blackfellas in the mid and late 70s as a traveller. There were NO local surfers. Anyone who claims to be a local is a 'blow in' from somewhere else in the mean time, like nearly all of us in our local area.
Get over the agression and ownership, no one owns the ocean. It is for all to enjoy.
Yeh, it is interesting, kinda funny. I taught some local kids how to surf years ago. I used to take Johny, Kym, Rhino, Porky, Dom to Locks and Sheringa, even Tungatta, and then little blacks for a year or so. The 'locals' were pretty much spewing, as they just figured rednecks and crowds to contend with. The funny thing is, later some of those kids joined forces with the 'locals'! I can even remember Jeff staying over with me for a few years, parking the boat and coming for some earlies. It used to be funny, I teed up one of the 'local' guys to make him some boards, but the guy got cold feet when the other 'locals' hassled him about it. I didn't really realise what was going on, I just thought Jeff was a red hot kid from Streaky, surfing. I reckon all this stuff stems from back then, when he was just a naive kid trying to have a good time. He used to freak about blacks though! I ended up in Ballina for a few years after the shark thing. Pete came up and stayed for a fair while, after his dad asked me to look after him. It makes me think about surfing reading all this stuff. Guys visiting from the East coast, that I used to give heaps of waves and info in Elliston, and that would shit themselves at decent blacks, would burn you for an onshore two footer at Lennox. Pretty funny. I never had much time for supposedly heavy, agro surfers (is there such a thing?) and decided to up the anti about it a bit in Ballina. So easy to get waves then. Like I said its funny surfing, I cant even imagine Pete putting me up for a day.
I did half my degree in Indigenous studies by distance in Elliston, the other half in Lismore, and was on the council in Elliston. Nungas won't get far there, or Northern NSW. Its sad that the world's most successful, longest, continual culture by miles, pretty much got oblitherated by the manic Poms in no time. I used to rack my brain thinking about the answer for Nungas. Its pretty arrogant really, and just more of the same initial problem, we think we always know what's best, Colonialism. One thing they can hold onto is that any Indigenous Australian alive today stems from the best survivors ever. We threw the kitchen sink, the whole show at them for years and years, like an endless Holocaust, and without any army marching in to save them, they are still here, surviving. Pretty amasing.
Nah - I've never oppressed anyone, just surfed there regularly for about 6 years and hung out with the true locals out at the farm. The only bloke I heard who may have oppressed them was Dunny and he had a black belt as well. Classic line I remember from one of them out in the water "Geez I'd like an excuse to punch your head in". Nearly as good as that famous quote from Cactus "I don't care if you're DC fu*ken purple c*nt, fu*k off" Uplift has got the names of the true locals I referred to in my earlier post. There is a memorial to John Charles Darke at Darke Peak and one to Jevan Wright at Blacks cliff so one for the unknown aborigines who died at the hand of the early settlers would be appropriate.
Smucko - another question, what camera/lens/housing do you use? I've never seen any technical info to accompany your pics. Have you had any success witht the Go pro? I used to swim around in the surf with Nikonos and 35mm lens but that was way back in the film days, could never quite do as well as Peter Crawford tho.
cya on ask smuko nat.
I like to surf, don't mind a drop in. Taking waves is my thing. Dropped in on a dude like fuck-all-u, saw him go over the falls twice, taking off too deep. I took his wave, rode it all the way. what a joy. He wasn't surfing it like i could. I paddled back out. Dude was not happy. You took my wave, i was here first, he said!! We snarled. Then i met a guy like Jeff, he tuned me. Say sorry. I said sorry to dude fuck all u. Me and dude like fuck all u, we mates now. We share. We care.
silverrappa....do you still drop in?
Silver surfer sounds like BigWayne's Brazilian brother.
Irado!
taking land, taking waves. Over the cliff, over the falls. We don't surf the wave the same way. sorry i took your land, sorry i took your wave. I'm still dropping in, taking your knowledge. think about it earthling.
Conclusion to an article written 7 years ago and an event that occured 170 years ago:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-05-19/waterloo-bay-massacre-commemorated...
Localism suxs and so do blowin ( I live on social media) wanna be heros.
At the Cravings and the Cruncher we respect the extinction of the Tassie aborigines but not camping on or driving over there sacred sites. Its just a little thing!
Thanks for sharing this stunet .
The picture in the article of "waterloo bay" is not Waterloo Bay, thats a joke .
Its actually a picture of possibly the smallest bay in the world , as the picture shows .
The Memorial stones are in the wrong spot, tucked away down a back road out of sight .
The memorial stones are not at blacks .
Quote from the news article below,
"Wording for a plaque to be included with the memorial is still being worked out and some local Indigenous people want it to include the word "massacre".
There has been some reluctance to use the word, given the official number of deaths will never be known."
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-05-19/waterloo-bay-massacre-commemorated...
Related article
http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/artist-says-new-monument-to-executed-a...
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterloo_Bay_massacre
Quote from the article Wikipedia;
"An attempt in the 1970s to build a memorial for the Aboriginal people killed in the massacre was unsuccessful, as the District Council of Elliston demanded proof that the massacre occurred before permitting a cairn to be placed on the cliffs."
2011 article ;
"Attempts by the Wirangu people to erect a cairn near the Blackfellows surf break in the 1970s to commemorate the killings did not eventuate, after failing to win the support of the district council. But finally this black mark staining the town may be set to change.
Elliston Council's new chief executive Mary Deakin notes the town's rich history, much of it prominently displayed.
"But not all stories have been so flattering to the area, such as the story of the Elliston Massacre," she said.
"This debate continues and no cairn has been erected to date."
While only months into her tenure, she is confident the murders will eventually be marked in and by the town. "The Wirangu people and the council must find ways to work together harmoniously," Ms Deakin said. "This relationship will be an enduring one and recognising the massacre is key to an improved relationship."
Quoted 2011.
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/ipad/living-is-still-easy-on-the-west-coas...
Good links, Clam.
Cheers.
http://imgur.com/TsW3NON
Any good excuse to post the amazing old repeated photo snuffysmith . nobody is actually surfing the wave because its too big and lowtide for everyone & anybody . The surfers would be surfing elsewhere, much better than fucked up maxing blacks .
Is it a repeated photo?
I might have had it on my Facebook, but im pretty sure the only place I ever posted it was on a swellnet forum about awesome wave pics, and it was a few years later at that.
As to why I posted it, I can't comment on your parlour-chair psychology except to say it blew me away to see water moving like that. It was pretty unique and I felt compelled to share it where it would be apprecoated. Read into that all you want about reflected glory, but I feel pretty comfortable with it.
I'am with you on the photo rouby that's why I dragged it up.Top shot mate.When I look at the photo it capture's the complete power of the place and not just in the wave sense either.There's a certain vibe of respect that I pick up on whenever I've been there that's not involved with surfing what so ever powerful place.
Hey Clam.
You obviously don't have to reply to this , but are you from Southern WA ?
Way east of Albany ?
I think we may know each other if that's the case.
A guy paddling over shoulder in pic ?
Struth!
Best that swellnetonians acknowledge Aboriginal killings.
Nobody likes the fact that each region has several killing fields.
Aboriginals from newborn/woman/ youngmen or blind were marched off Clifftop and Headlands into creeks and surf or poisoned. Skulls still scatter cave floors.
Wildlife gone! A deathwish to steal a sheep or packet of flour.
Failing to vacate locals only surf beach. That was an instant death penalty.
Fraser Island Indian Head massacre...
1000 more killed on Straddie Island.
Many creek massacres occurred thru Gold Coast/Tweed.
No sites have ever branded a cross,cairn or storyboard. Sorry state that is !
Aboriginals were marched into oceans off cliffs all along all our coast....
Fingal (Dreamtime)+ Kingy+ Lennox Head NSR +Black Head+ Evans Head
This is only half of recorded killing sites in Tweed/Moreton region...any could source 3x the killings next region north of here & more as you go.
Same story Australia wide . Aboriginals have a right to call it genocide or worse.
Pretty much blood on our hands at every Pointbreak.
Respect/tread lightly...Surf God & fish trap on every pointbreak.
Bin the marine debris.... go natural...go wild...or stay home.
PS: Blackfellas (Name) is typical for massacre sites. Own the kill !
If Aboriginals wish to resource the name...Hardly our place to argue.
Best that swellnetonians acknowledge Aboriginal killings.
Nobody likes the fact that each region has several killing fields.
Aboriginals from newborn/woman/ youngmen or blind were marched off Clifftop and Headlands into creeks and surf or poisoned. Skulls still scatter cave floors.
Wildlife gone! A deathwish to steal a sheep or packet of flour.
Failing to vacate locals only surf beach. That was an instant death penalty.
Fraser Island Indian Head massacre...
1000 more killed on Straddie Island.
Many creek massacres occurred thru Gold Coast/Tweed.
No sites have ever branded a cross,cairn or storyboard. Sorry state that is !
Aboriginals were marched into oceans off cliffs all along all our coast....
Fingal (Dreamtime)+ Kingy+ Lennox Head NSR +Black Head+ Evans Head
This is only half of recorded killing sites in Tweed/Moreton region...any could source 3x the killings next region north of here & more as you go.
Same story Australia wide . Aboriginals have a right to call it genocide or worse.
Pretty much blood on our hands at every Pointbreak.
Respect/tread lightly...Surf God & fish trap on every pointbreak.
Bin the marine debris.... go natural...go wild...or stay home.
PS: Blackfellas (Name) is typical for massacre sites. Own the kill !
If Aboriginals wish to resource the name...Hardly our place to argue.
http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2017-07-21/waterloo-bay-massacre-debate-ra...
http://www.westcoastsentinel.com.au/story/4768456/questions-over-massacre/
http://www.portlincolntimes.com.au/story/4771321/letters-to-the-editor/
Jack johncock; "For there to be true reconciliation in this region we've got to put all of the cards on the table, stop beating around the bush and put the appropriate words onto this plaque," he said.
"That's going to bring some closure for our people.
"Now we've got an opportunity here for closure, I just hope the council is strong enough to side with us."
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Wikipedia :
"Aboriginal people from the west coast of South Australia have oral history traditions that a large-scale massacre occurred. An attempt in the 1970s to build a memorial for the Aboriginal people killed in the massacre was unsuccessful, as the District Council of Elliston demanded proof that the massacre occurred before permitting a cairn to be placed on the cliffs. The deaths of the white settlers killed in the lead-up to the clash have been memorialised to some extent, and in 2017 the Elliston council erected a memorial to acknowledge what occurred. In recent years authors have concluded that, whether or not a massacre occurred on the large scale suggested by some accounts, the clash has become something of a "narrative battleground" between the documented and imagined history of white settlement and the Aboriginal oral history of the frontier."
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Jack : "Aboriginal history is an oral history and has been handed down for generations.
The stories about Elliston have been told and handed down through all Wirangu people and neighbouring clan groups in and around the West Coast.
We know what happened.
There were people who survived the massacre, people who were being driven over the cliff but escaped and told their families and told neighbouring clans what happened that ill-fated and tragic day.
The word spread quickly throughout our clan groups about the atrocity.
We the Wirangu people of the West Coast know many of our ancestors were murdered.
To comment as the member of the public did in the article there was “violence certainly on both sides in this very large district” is to suggest an equality in frontier violence between colonists and Aboriginal people.
That suggestion reflects an uneasy relationship non-Aboriginal people have with their past.
parents and they themselves used the word massacre openly.
Why is that the current day people are not happy with the use of the word massacre?
Wirangu people have been pursuing a monument that recognises our history on that coast from at least 1970.
If the Elliston District Council were given money for a reconciliation monument, then if we are going to be walking together into the future, then let’s talk truth and let people know what happened there.
For Wirangu people, Elliston is a dark place and as pretty as Elliston is it has a dark history and until such time people accept what really happened and be truthful about what happened, there will never be real reconciliation in Elliston.
We Wirangu people want closure and I think this a great chance after 40 years trying, to have some recognition of what happened there.
Wirangu people have been working together with the council and a beautiful monument has been put up.
I thank the council members but now let’s finish it off by acknowledging the truth and walking together into the future."
JACK JOHNCOCK
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For the past 170 years, an Aboriginal community in regional South Australia has been handing down the story of the "Waterloo Bay massacre".
"Our history is an oral history, it's not written down," Wirangu elder Jack Johncock said.
"In 1849, people were driven over cliffs over the murder of a settler called John Hamp."
But an attempt to commemorate the killings has led to a debate over whether the events amount to a "massacre".
A petition is circulating the nearby town of Elliston, on the Eyre Peninsula, opposing the use of the word massacre on a memorial plaque."
http://www.mickdaley.com/terror-nullius/
The more things change......
That's some intense reading blindboy, very sad indeed
Reminds me of when I ran the caravan park in Elliston, years ago. The town's footy team was getting flogged, and in a super desperate moment they recruited a young nunga superstar from Lincoln. He was easily good enough to star in the AFL, but life circumstance meant a different path for him. Anyway the town put him up in one of those old baked bean replica caravans in the park. I played sometimes for them then, and witnessed what he had to deal with. Comments like, 'run you lazy black cunt', etc were the norm. Much, much worse from the sidelines also. No one had anything to do with him after the game was finished, other than gossip, and derogatory comments. I used to visit him a bit in his van, have some meals with him, he surfed in Lincoln too, and we had some good talks. He's a really nice guy, lots of people like him. We used to joke about if he played a bad game. Eventually he cracked, and left. Which meant more derogatory talk from the town.
Back then he would tell me how bad he felt being around there. Because of the killings and massacres. Most Nunga's don't even like stopping for petrol. But he wanted to get away from things in Lincoln for a while, and needed to live.
Much later I was asked to run for counsellor there, by some of the farmers who were sick of the general corruption. I didn't want to do it, but knew what they were on about. I actually got voted in, much to the horror of the old stalwarts, who assumed things would just be the same as they always had been. I got to see first hand the overall attitude towards Indigenous Australians. Disgusting. That was in the Mabo time, so they were absolutely freaking. Just before I left for Lincoln, I was talking to the Ombudsmans office, and under advice, about to request that all meetings be taped. I have some land, and wanted to get a portion that I know is significant to the local people cut off, and a monument put there. Unbelievable shit went on. The old guard were so stoked when I moved. Lincoln is much the same. Racism is real. It gets handed down too easily.
It's a sad story Uppity and unfortunately one that been repeated thousands of time around Australia.
I hope wherever he is your mate prevailed.
And yet you're as bigoted as fuck regarding Caucasian Australians.
Some people can't see the forest for the trees.
No one ever tell you that two wrongs don't make a right ?
http://www.elliston.sa.gov.au/contentFile.aspx?filename=Minutes%2020%20J...
"Oral history exists of people forced over cliffs at Elliston and the memorial to shepherd James Baird and his death at the hands of indigenous people is located on the Point Labatt Road. The forced relocation and dispossession of indigenous tribes in the region to settlements away from their traditional lands caused a great degree of hardship to Aboriginal people, and resulted in a significant loss of cultural artefacts and traditional knowledge. Despite these unfortunate events, Aboriginal links to the area remain strong."
"Wirangu consider themselves to be coastal people, and their traditional lives are centered on their relationship with the coast. Unlike many other Aboriginal tribes, Wirangu people considered seafood to be an important part of their diet. Traditional methods of fishing were used. These included the establishment of "fish traps" in some locations, either natural or placed rock formations which would channel fish into pools on the incoming tide.
Stunted Melaleucus, Calca Peninsula copyright Michele Rast
Sticks and rocks would be used to scare the fish towards a hunter who would spear them. Wirangu people consumed a variety of shellfish, and shell fragments, middens and charred stones from campfires may still be seen today on the cliffs and in the sand hills".
http://www.chainofbays.com.au/index.php?cat=owners
http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/64322134
Newspapers: The Register (Adelaide, SA : 1901 - 1929) Sat 27 Feb 1926 ;............
"It is quite true his father, for many years was manager for Price Maurice, and was managing Bramfield Station at the time of the massacre and no doubt took part in rushing the blacks over the cliff at near Waterloo Bay.....
The late Mr. John Chip Hamp and Sgt.
Garretty were the principals in the muster
and drive. Sgt. Garretty was supervisor
and the Government representative, and
organized the successful mustre of natives.
He planned the cliff as his goal, never
thinking the blacks would leap over in
their hundreds— about 260. Only two
failed to go over, so fierce and determined was the drive. I was told many times, by both Sgt. Garretty and Mr. Hamp of the real facts 50 years ago. It was the above Mr. Hamp (then 16 years old and a shepherd) who came home and found his father's head in the camp oven, near Lake Newland. Only the son and the father were there at that time, and six miles away was another shepherd. The son walked to that man in the night through terrible scrub, and reported the tragic fate of his father. The blacks killed the father near the sheepyard, and cut his head off
with a crosscut saw. They put the head
in a camp oven, and dragged the body to the back of the sheepyard and put bushes over it. There was naturally great excitement at the tragedy, as Mr. Hamp and his father were very popular, and the latter was one of the earliest settlers. While the sergeant was looking for the murderer, a second murder was reported at Mongulty (afterwards called Manguilty), of a woman, a shepherd's wife, on Gum Flat Station. She was a splendid woman, beloved by all
the district. So wrathful was Sgt. Gar-
retty that he left off his pursuit of the
Hamp murderer and reported direct to the head office. He strongly advised the muster and drastic action, and asked for
police to assist him. The Government
granted the request, and the sergeant organized a force 160 strong, and planned his drive. He told me that they were not all horsemen, but most of the unhorsed men came in at the finish and killed the blacks who got away between the lines. Only two escaped, and one of those lost half a hand. He afterwards picked wool for me where I was shearing. This escapee also told me all about the massacre. The whites were armed with guns, rifles, revolvers, reaping hooks, whips, waddies, and capped dynamite. It was difficult travelling through the thick scrub. The gins only were spared who broke through the lines. With the exceptions mentioned, all the mustered blacks elected to go over the cliff, and all were instantly killed. For 30 years after at the spot one could see skulls and bones washed up in the cliffs, and even today probably skulls and bones remain there to tell the tale. For this action Sgt. Garretty received promotion in the force. The effect of the drive was tranquility among the blacks from Port Lincoln to Fowler's Bay. To use Sgt. Garretty's words, as he told me over 40 years ago, 'Show them a gun or crack a whip, and it is quite sufficient.' His last words were, 'I had a good lot of men with me
then. I would not like to try it now.'
The sergeant named the place Waterloo
Bay after he saw what had happened".
The wording is important. Indigenous Australians are accused of 'murder'. The massacre is nicely explained away as reprisal against crimes, 'murders' committed by Indigenous Australians. Our government, our representatives smugly assert legal ownership. So, again, Terra Nullius rears its ugly head. The British lied, and illegally brutally attacked Indigenous Australians as it invaded and stole their land, with the intent of exterminating Indigenous Australians, whom the British deceitfully portrayed as 'less than human' and 'vermin'.
Would we accuse the Anzacs, of 'murder', when they fought to defend invasion? Of course not, we applaud and praise, and immortalize and embellish their brave attempts to this day. We would never ask them to 'just move on'. Or allow them to be called 'criminals' for defending their home.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/factcheck/2014-04-25/five-anzac-myths-put-to-...
https://www.awm.gov.au/visit/exhibitions/dawn/plan/british
Funny seeing some of those names on the council minutes. Some of the old guard hanging in. One is one of the main families who talked me into running for council.
I just read the list of names on that list, and the attached letters. Surprise surprise? No. FFS. Fucking hell. If it wasn't so fucking serious. The best way to summarise that list is:
YYYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAARRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Appreciated the article Stu and, as I read, recognition is well due in Elliston. I learned something today-many thanks.
...but of course the minute you mentioned anything past turning left after Pt. Augusta someone's looking for a 'a bit of biff'.
@Sa_rips posted a photo of the Wirangu monument
Thanks for the info gentlemen. Nothing quite so riles me more than the fact that I was taught none of this at school (70's). It was like it never happened. Myall Creek, and a thousand more stories like this one.
I found out about the Myall Creek Massacre by reading Bill Bryson's book 'Down Under'. I learned as much about Australia's history from that as I did in all my schooling years.
I may one day visit the area. Rest assured it will be just me and the wife, just passing through, will be respectful on land and in the surf, and hope to see the memorial when there and pay my respects. Will leave no rubbish, and will not publish any pictures. Hope I can meet a friendly face out there. Cheers
Hi Batfink, with you on this. Neil Murray remains one of Australia's most ignored singer songwriters ('Blackfella/Whitefella' + 'My Island Home') has a song called 'Myall Creek'. well worth a venture into - http://www.neilmurray.com.au
http://www.portlincolntimes.com.au/story/4808873/elliston-memorial-contr...
There's now a petition agreeing with and supporting the Wirungu requests, doing the rounds.
If you visit, you'll have fun batfink.
Quote from Hercs link :
"There was a full house for the informal gathering in Elliston on Friday ".
About 25 people is close to the mark.
There wasn't any warning for the meeting given to the majority of locals .
Some found out about the meeting
Just 1 hour before it began.
Cheers u-turn, think I have heard that before.
I think I will have fun if I get there Herc. Part of a general plan for me and the missus to hit the road early in retirement, hopefully a very early retirement, and do the road trip. I quite like the idea of that part of the trip, really all of the trip from west of Melbourne to Perth, visiting as many places along the coast as I can. Will definitely put this on the agenda.
Interesting list of memorial sites for "indigenous conflict" http://monumentaustralia.org.au/themes/conflict/indigenous
http://stabmag.com/style/the-bloody-history-of-australias-best-waves/
May not add much to well informed but, like Batfink, I was not aware of a lot of this.
Check the punter comments. There's some doozys.
I like this exchange though:
"Everyone who is commenting inappropriately is the reason this is being shutdown for good, where will you go then? Inertia?"
"Beachgrit. Their writers are a "libertarian" conservative Christian stay-at-home dad and an alt-right almost was. I'd be surprised if an article isn't already up titled "Stab uses fake history to blame surfers for genocide that never happened!"
The racist assholes will 100% find a home there. They'll just be forced to restrict their bigotry to the dog-whistle kind, like the articles do."
Ouch!
(STAB aren't getting rid of the commentary provision now, apparently. Rielly vs STAB continues)
You'll always come across doozy's. In real life, off the net, its even more fun, coming across, sorting out them doozy's. Blax loved sorting out a doozy too... or 10... or twenty... ahhh shit, there was hundreds and thousand's of em. Fuck'n doozy's. Blax got plenty before they even went near the water. Gary gee doozy. Doozy's that couldn't go out because they 'would charge too hard' (sic). Can you imagine hearing that? On the cliff. Under the big top. Oh the sheer fun! Doozy's that couldn't surf because, 'fark it, eye took ver wrong turn orf aye' (sic). Doozer's that, 'had a (highlight) reel bad injuree... frum vat (highlight) reel bad wypeout' (sic). Chicken shit doozers with a brokeback, that their speshilist fixed... 'by making them sit in a highchair for the rest of their miserable lives'(sic). Laird call's doozy's eternal 'super chicken's'. Doozy's that frantically sped off in a cloud of dust (or snow), 'ta serfee vem (highlight)reel biggies up ver coast aye'. (sic) Doozy's that surfed blax without ever going in the water. That surfed it by 'sittn' (highchair), arouwnd a campy fyre wiv privvy old cunts' (sic).
Tremblin' doozy's tryin' to figure out, 'wot fins ta yuse... an' wot culla, an' whitch way aroouwd duz vey go aye', having 'speshilly' purchased their massive, life changing craft. And massively quiverin' doozy's trying to figure out if they can swim to ulu's. Shakin' doozy's on the cliff. Thank God half the doozy's never made it off the cliff, it got worse in the water. Blax loves sorting out, trouncin' and floggin' doozys. Hundreds and thousands of doozys. The best entertainment you could ever have. Doozy's forever!
They weren't all doozy's but. Ya know a doozy when ya spot one though. Blax always does too. It's fun. 'Gidday, gee, want a spot maaaayte? Bit heavy for ya aye... never mind! Woops... sorry, wot a doozy but! Musta slipped, the hospital is that way... don't take the wrong turn off now!'
There's the pa, calling me again... up up and away... again!
OMG
Actually Herc, here's another couple of comments from that STAB article:
"Indigenous Spirituality is strongly connected with a sense of 'place'. Perhaps by contemplating these historical events we may gain an inkling of connectedness and sacredness to a break, that I would suggest can be a beautiful aspect of the surfing experience."
"A sense of place being , co-existing with the land , stewardship , not ownership , as 80K years of culture has taught that we are only here for a blink of an eye , and to fight over possessions and lands is just a futile human trait.
This what surfing is supposed to teach us , then localism rears its ugly head and ......"
That second one was from a punter called Brutus.
Anyway, I wonder how those comments above would fit into, say, the Webber Wave Pools thread. What would Greg think?
Maybe the land wasn't owned by way of documentation and a lands title registry , but it was owned to the degree that tribes had exclusive rights to hunt and fish on their territory.
500 odd nations existed in Australia. The land was apportioned to seperate nations.
What do you think a welcome to country ceremony represents ?
Welcome to MY country.
Ownership.
http://austhrutime.com/australian_aboriginal_tribes.htm
'OMG'
Yes, heard that a few thousand times out at blax! Doozys! Under the big top!
"Indigenous Spirituality is strongly connected with a sense of 'place'. Perhaps by contemplating these historical events we may gain an inkling of connectedness and sacredness to a break, that I would suggest can be a beautiful aspect of the surfing experience."
Yeh, that's what I always love about blax turk. I used to surf more than most, because, I would surf in sea breezes, 'wrong' winds, 'wrong' swells, 'wrong' tides, and so on, whereas most want 'perfection'. For years and years and years and years and years. I have had hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of surfs out there alone. Except for the fish, and seals and so on, and there's some big ones. On that note, a dead whale is presently floating around at the back of the little island. Sat out there alone heaps too. Always big fish there. Saw a few. And didn't. Neutron 2 used to fly his plane up and down the coast, and one night when I and his brother were out there at that little island, he said a sub sized pointer was floating in the deep hole right along side us. We thought he was showing off in the plane. Is it too late to ring the TV stations? I do a good gut suck side pose... with twist if called for... not as good as some but... better tris though... anyway.
The best thing about blax was that the whole of nature sorted everything out, took care of business anyway. Wash aways were common. Nothing like a few weeks of blistering northerlies. In the desert. Without phones. Or TV. Or the net. Truck only came a couple of times a week. Some doozys! If your interested I saw a snake once! Well, or twice... well, hundreds really... is it too late to ring the TV stations? I'll tell all!
Brutus you say? This context?
"Indigenous Spirituality is strongly connected with a sense of 'place'. Perhaps by contemplating these historical events we may gain an inkling of connectedness and sacredness to a break, that I would suggest can be a beautiful aspect of the surfing experience."
This guy?
'We were all disappointed with Blacks as it only holds about 6' so we went looking elsewhere....checked a few spots ,but decided Caves would be a guaranteed bigger better wave.....'
Mmmmm... interesting stuff... what a doozy!
Wait a minute... brutus... name rings a bell... this guy, that said all this stuff?
' Its funny about all the exercise programs etc...if ya surf everyday .SUP on flat and small days...and stretch...thats all ya need.....
how boring is Gym.......and how really detached from surfing is JIM......'
But then this?
'RCJ trains 6 days a week all year round...I doubt there is anyone,maybe Laird who can match his leg and Core strength...so he can surf 20 waves a session......not 4-5....we have taken some of the fittest pros...yeah and they also train 6 days a week with professional trainers, and no-one comes close to RCJ .....'
Mmmmm... interesting 'stuff'! What a doozy!
Yet, hang on... what about this? Oh dear...
http://www.kieser.com.au/media/4345402/Ross-Testimonial.pdf
Hang on, wait a minute... something's not adding up... again... and again... and again... and...!
'At 49 years old my only regret is not starting Kieser 20 years ago.'
Oh dear! Held back for 20 years! In his prime too! What a doozy! Oh coooooaaaaaaaaaccccchhhhh bbbbbbbrrrrrruuuuuutttttuuuussssssssss...
'Welcome to MY country.
Ownership.'
Oh, oh! Oh no! That opens up the... the truth! Terra Nullius... heinous crimes, now admitted heinous crimes committed! Admitting full guilt, so, accepting the full weight of the law! What a doozy!
Anyway, it will all, all them nitty gritty bits... come out in the books. Well, almost all all them nitty gritty bits, well, sort of all, well... there will be some real fine doozys! Some upstanding good 'ol doozys!
Donny Trump's countin' on em! Them doozys!
Douche !
Flushed doozy alert! Brokeback chicken soufl'e, king of the doozys! Its easy to flush a doozy! Blax flushed tons of em! Including soufl'e! What a doozy!
this is gettin heavy............... fuck it, i will continue to surf streaky, teenies, & camp in the dune's at cactas, again & again. when it's small & hot, christmas time, if ya like......... & continue, to have fuck all ta do with sooky type's. as for the surf break, named blackfella's............. well that is a different kettle of fish. how about we get stu , & his crew to hit it at, oh say double over heavy.............i will show you the way......................................
ya can smell it, see it, & feel it from the high way..... when it's on..... i instantly get the shiver's, thinkin about that joint.
Quote from blowin:
'Hey Clam.
You obviously don't have to reply to this , but are you from Southern WA ?
Way east of Albany ?
I think we may know each other if that's the case.'
'OMG' Oh please... please... please just say yes clam!!!! Please... for doozy's sake just say yes!!! Imagine the all time doozy!!! I sense an inevitable, all time, unbeatable doozy!!! Think soufle's infamous, 'savvy, connected surfee knowledge' (sic), 'the kid', but not 'the kid on the rocks'... 'presumably'... magnified by immeasurable, monstrous proportions!!! Please clam, give us our all time doozy!!! Just say yes!!! Push the plunger!!! Unleash the fucking doozy!!!
OMG! LOL!
Ha ha, more like a Blown-out 'doosra'!
Come in spinner, indeed!
lovin it...........stir the pot.
i would like to say sorry, to those that i have up set. i feel alittle like i have been fed, put on the chain, muzzled, but patted & scratched in all those nice spot's.
fan club...........GRRR. think about it, i'm in. tick that box............. need some iq, for this one.
Maybe the status quo could have been different if not for the deeds of Robert Torrens and friends.
1836 Letters Patent
https://www.foundingdocs.gov.au/resources/transcripts/sa2_doc_1836.pdf
A brief history of Robert Torrens and the Torrens system of land ownership.
http://www.kellehers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/Memo_Torrens.pdf
Despite to this day, concerted, although totally ignorant efforts to portray Traditional Indigenous Australians as 'war mongering, brutal savages', the actual truth is very, very different. And the truth is finally being acknowledged and breaking through the convenience of smug ignorance and lies.
http://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/nitv-news/article/2017/06/13/wiradjuri-heroes...
http://www.theland.com.au/story/4704196/tribal-heroes-of-killer-flood/
These type of stories, stories of exceptional humanity, compassion, forgiveness and bravery toward an arrogant, deceitful people, who were brutally invading their land and homes, occurred elsewhere around Australia. Fong highlighted a very similar story in the treaty thread.
mmmm, so on the money herc, always, on the money, keep up the great work. in touch, switched on..... Australian. ( no shit).
A more detailed history of the Elliston Massacre and the dramatic aftermath, some of which continues to this day, but also the unexpected friendships that have been wrought.
"What happened in Elliston can be a bit of symbol, a bit of a catalyst."
"If we accept the past then we can understand our future together."
Waterloo Bay cliffside deaths still haunt South Australian town 170 years later
It's on this sad map, only as 10 though.
https://c21ch.newcastle.edu.au/colonialmassacres/map.php