-6tochnologicnl ngu, ono o f t h o n o s t conpldx and i n p o r t a n t jobe, sinco i t ciaaling with pooplofs l i v s s , not j u s t t h d i r p o s s ~ s s i o n s .

Ono o f tho most disappointing f e a t u r o s o f thi? prosont s i t u a t i o n i s t h a t whilo the Welfare Board l a b o r i o u s l y works on, thoro c r o , a t i t s iliB?oE;,1 but unasked, tho very non i n tho U n i v e r s i t i o s t Dcpartnonts of Sociology and S o c i a l Work who could b o s t contributo t o its functioning.
i3

It nuat be racogWon t h o

nizod t h a t t o d a y "coclnonsonsol' "won' t do" i n Aboriginal Wolfare.

procose of coming t o g r i p s with t h e naturo dnd dimension of t h o problons i n volvod i s a very lengthy, coniilicatod and oxpensive ono.

Yoars

Of I'anpori-

anoe with Aboriginos" is no substitute f o r fhe t e c h n i c a l competonco o f

sociology,
1 -

When

WO

havo askod tho r i g h t questions about whet i s nooded i n

Lrovision for Lborigines, i n o r d o r

50

enjoy thc b o n o f i t s and r o s p o n s i b i l i t i c 3

o f our s o c i e t y , then
Such men

WO

w i l l need t r a i n e d s o o i o l o g i s t s t o provide t h e answxrs.

are a v a i l a b l e .
Whon tlw Board ha8 nanngod t o broadon i t s concegtions and undsrstnnilQ

i n g o f "tho probled' i t w i l l bo f r o 0 t o hava

f u l l e r and healthior r o l s t i o n -

s h i p w i t h the Aborigincs, t h o voluntary o r g e n i s a t i o n s and 'tho public.

Instoad

o f suggosting t h a t volunBary o r g a n i s a t i o n s "can incroaao tho undoratending

( o f tha community) of Government policy"'

i t s d o s i r o nay bo t h a t tbo cornunity

---_I

undorstand the Aboriginos and not j u s t the Govornmont.

Ir. K i n g m i l l explained how the Board rcsponds t o prcjudico and d i s crimination a g a i n s t tho Aboriginesr

"It is aiming t o roclovo tho conditions t h e t giv3 riso t o such nisgivinga .02 (9)
Not only hzs the Board f a i l e d t o work t o e l i n i n a t o tho frequont

f r i c t i o n , s t e r e o t n o s and h o s t i l i t y t h a t are a b a r r i o r t o tho advancenent o f i,borigines, but i t scdns, on a nunbor o f occasions, t o havo givan way t o "these misgivings." Hhon tho Wolfaro Board's e f f o r t s t o o b t a i n land t o
, i

b u i l d homes a t Lisnore warr: o b s t r u c t e d by the Town Clerk and Town Council, tho Board's gowm was not oxdrcisod.

It has t h e l c g a l r i g h t , by v i r t u 0 o f

C l a u s e 7 ( b ) ( l A ) ( a ) , the f i n a l powor i n acqu$ring land, yet d i d not use it.

. .,. ' . .. Thus t h e "goodwill of tho comunity" i s t r o a t e d as a d o l i o a t o flower t o bo

.c

nourished by the "pationco and conviction t h a t t h i n g s w i l l come wkth ihe pars". 3

1 -. Aborigines Welfas Board Raport 1964-65, (46) 9 . 1 0 , 2 Sydney Morninjq Herald, 24.2.65, p . 2 . ,.

. .-.

' I , .

Proceedings of C o n f E n c o on N . S . I .

AborigiioA, Armidalo, May

1959

P . 27 le 39.

d i s l i k e of ohaqgo,
I ,
I .

I n many of thbso s i t w t i o n e , a truetf'ul, f r i o n d l y b u t

;'

f i r m consul%a.tion . from tho Bo8rdr"togethor with othor Aborigines t o provide tho l i a i s o n ..bith ..thos 1iving"on RdsQI'V0;j' could havo oliminatod tensione and
I._
' . ;
.

#
I

tho b a r s i o r e ,of rosontnant ,and' 5nforsed-i n f e r i o r i t y t h a t haw proved ..b p.o s .. .

..

sable t o eQ &ay f&&inoB..

Uhile:..%hoso, ?nd, such..probleae a6 tho r i g h t s

..

of Polioo t o ontor, honoa on'statioils xithout p?miseion' o . r. &rant . .

t h e , arb,o f t o n what t h o . $boriginos:faal,

, a t any

to*b? t h e i r most 'proesing problons,

. ,

tho Sonior W o l f G Offioor and, his .staff

. . .
7'

WO

qui.to akooncctrned and Oven hos:

Cilo t o 'tho'Buggostion . t h a t f h i e o problems ori8.t.

Tho a%we:.am%lysis;~ie. %ntondod t o provido an: i n t e r p r o f i v e approach

t o the flfailuroll of Aboriginos t o adapt. t p ,the European'o u l t u r o , and a l l

. .
, .

that t h i e ontalls, i n toms of :hygmo, work?ha7?its, ,oducationnl advanconont

and housing.
..
.
'

Ho hopo

WO

,have shown " t h d t %his ,ltfitiluroll has bjon largely

' ; .,.. !..
, .
.

t
I .

:ari wanformed 'spp&oacb: ' t o th:, soc,ial probloiiis which confront

I

..

. ..

Abori&noe,

bdth i n n a..n c g..i n g ' t h o i r o&

. .
..
,

live.#, and adapting ' t o t h c largor

we

fiustralian oomunitp. . . .
.
,

In order t o tako'. our .:analysis f u r t h o r ,

t'.
,

shall

offer aug@&.ions t o 'tho Sdleot ,Conmitt&, for.,Arture polioy, basad on a

o a r e k readbag :of.. s o o i a l &dvanoan&t' and ,i.walfara work i n ,other aountrios.

11. kt0D;IILS FOR POLICY MhKINBo

(1)

Tho t y p o e of policy and wdlfars provision f o r the Aboriginoe

in thia S t a t o havo booorno tradiIxLona1, and have ovolvod aldng linos t h r t are
very difforont fro^ tho way othor g r o u p bavo boon thought about and provi. '. ddd f o r , i n tho puet. I n f a o t , i n tho cohtext of Boolal p'alicy OUT AboyiI .

e;inal Xolfaro policy, with a Board o f Public Somonte, s t a t i o n s and s t a t i o n

.
i'

nanagore, saens extraordinary, and y e t those ,foaturos havo narkod tho

boundary o f u e l f m o thinking.

WO h a w con0 t o rogard thon as tho only kind

In f h o t , Aboriginal af-

of policy t h a t can doal with Aboribinal prubloos,

fairs e r a not thought o f & a l l i n cannsction with Socisl'Sorviooe or provision, i n tho a m 0 nay as the r o o t of tho comm&ity@s e n t i t l o n o n t t o such
.-

f .

< .. . ~ .

- 0 provision. ..borigincs ar3 rdgnrdcd as

i?

s 2 o c i s l k i n d o f noddy p r s o n who

GctuGlly, i n many c a s ~ s ,s t r i n g out t h e i r wliolc e x i s t m c e on sonc kind of unzrqloyncnt c m sickness b d n s f i t , and yot z r c . cstorod for i n a spccico.1 way9 by bding clustdrod t o g s t h d r on R c s ~ r v c s .
Tbuso Eoscrvus thGn t u r n i n t o

ghettos, bocauae they are inhcbitod by the p,o;>lo o f a d i s t i n c t l y d i f f o r c n t rnco. With t h i s p o l l c y g r o w u2 thc s t t o n b n t i l l - c f f o c t s o f poverty, ill-

hualth, scorn of the whito connunity, l a c k of a n b i t i o n , and hopolessnoss,

(2) To evnluatc prusont Aboriginal W ~ l f e r oP o l i c y and thinking i t

i s nccossary t o havo sorm notion of t h e t4alternativcst.

For t h i s m m o n

WO

intond t o touch b r i e f l y upon a nunbur of 2 o l i c i o s and progrannos f r o n nrens

---o t h m than lLboriginal Walfnrc,

t h a t havo ralovanco.

p s r t i c u l n r l y some l e s s o r known ovor6ucs onoss

WO

I n t h i s way

hope t o 3rovidc soue excnplos of t h e

fALa

v a r i e t y of tnodolsl f o r welfare provision t h a t can be found i n opsration.

c p r e l i n i n a r y t o pograimc p o l i c y ncking, i t would bo necessary t o a t t e n d t o wide rangc of d e t n i l c d i n f o r n a t i o n nbout such programmes and p o l i c i o s t howGvGr, hmd r e s t r i c t e d oursolves t o s c v o r e l fron 9 ? 3 w Socicty.
YC,

L1.

(3)

( a ) F m i l y Sa-~v&c~??o ject.

f t l i i LSoriginos aro sicilar t o t h o s o of I n nnny,w;ujrs tba p o 3 L n s ;

othor d s p r o s s a d minority groups.
T h G m i s an expanding l i t d r s t u r e o f e.xpri-

n d n t s l work biring done with such groups that should be valuable background t o
futurct policy,

The work of tha Brvthurhood of S t . Lswranco Family Sdrvico

1

P r o j e c t , Molbournc, h a s innediato ralovanco t o Aboriginal wctlfsre.

The

p r o j e c t i s concorned with a group, which, l i k c many Lboriginos, has f n i l o d t o ncot s a t i s f a c t o r y s t a n d a r a s of hone nznagmont, c h i l d car$ and r o n t payaents.
Tha p r o j o o t s techniques wore, b a s i o a l l y , intonsivo f a n i l y cssonork;
z vary differon$ a2proach t o t h a t of most Aboriginal Velfcro work i n N.S. ?T.

basod on scanty v i s i t s by Wolfzrc Officers.

I n most cases t h d r e h a s Seon

continued progress i n m p c c t s such as liono nancgcnont, c h i l d c m e , coramunity participation a d , i n some c a s e s , improvomcnt in cnployment and r e n t payncnto (b) Race Relations. I n G r u s t B r i t a i n a good d c a l of a t t e n t i o n has been given t o t h o
o f s o c i a l f r i c t i o n i n housing, work, education and s o c i a l l i f e gonerally,
CCUSOG

p r i n c i p a l l y involving Cormonwealth immigrants.*

A -

This v i t a l am5 has boon

. e -

.I

.--

1 Brothmhood of S t , Lnwrmco, ? s o r t on Family: Scrvice P r o j e c t , J u l y 1958-Juno 1959. 2 Now - Socicty, 19th Maroh, 1965, p.18.

- 9 L:lnAst t a t c l l l y n t g l u c t d i n N.S.V. "Consultztivo ConTnittcGstth z v ~ bdcn s a t up i n c o n j u n c t i m vitli loczl authoritizs. Thoy havd s k m n t h n t
CA

i?

f d w c n t h u s i z s t i c pLoplc c r n

changs the ?.t,msL2hGrG ctf

whole borough.

Thc: ComniTtoos are cs brozdly

bescd 8s 2ossiblo, w i t h rd2rcsGntativJs o f tho a o l i $ i c z l p c r t i e s , wo'lfc-ro o i gk-nisztions, c h u r c h s , trcdo unions m Z borough councils. Town H a l l

f n c i l i t i o s ard nnL?o cwi-ilr.blo cnd g r a n t s a r c ;.dvLdncod from r n t o s (conditio;ii~1 on s u L > y l m m t a r yfund r e i s i n g ) .

Tho Comnitt+a's f u n c t i o n s i n c l d o :
(1)

to

8c)c

t h a t t3i: pruss rcprosontntivos and news i t s n s aro well in-

fornod ;
( i i ) t o uxci2ino 10c::l housing, uducotioncl and occupational Jro3luns and

nc=k~suggestions for the f u t u r o ;

(iii)n o s t important o f a l l , t o _ f. oe std r intLxration. . *

of

---

T h i s i s donc by

KIOW~

(..)

clubs, which intGrastod Connonwxdth innigrcznts wish to

Stc".rt*

These !i,?v~ includod young peoplols s o c i n l c l u b s , tmvd clubs, a d u l t oducction ldssons, and S o c i a l Action groups (which, f o r
kjxanplo, card f o r tho honos of tho agod)

(B) li.iLacp work, with i n d i v i d u z l s , which involves, for oxr-r;plc, l ~ g 2 1

p r o b l m s o f Connonwoclth migrants, s o c i a l c l u b s and t a l k s t o

schools.

(c)

---a c o n c i l i a t i on -~
I

-_.

l which , v i s i t s 2laccs of social f r i c t i o n , i n

SUI?

? a i r s , ono o f whito s k i n and one colourod, t o

bc rdsolvod.

i f f r i c t i o n ccn

As IINaw Society1' p o i n t s o u t , thoso cri? vdry di.licato (but v i t r r l l y

i n g o r t e n t ) t a s k s t h z t cannot be woll handled by a govornnont o r p o l i t i c c l

structure, with lirilitud fraedon of movomont.

tion is ussmticl.
(iv)

T o t a l cornunity roprosonta-

o t h m a c t i v i t h s includt, e f f o r t s t o inprovo thct r e l o t i o n s b6twu:en POl i o o and tho ddprussod r a c i a l minority group, 2 o l i t i c a l probhms as w e l l cs panph1,ts Conferonoos on

f o r t h o education of tho yo:,lu-

l a t i o n i n r c c c r o l c t i o n s , ar3 sponsordd by t h e Connittoo, and l o c c l mighbourhood noetings hald. This l a c k of i n t m o s t i n educating

tho y o s u l s t i o n as a wholo i n r c c i a l i s s u e s cxposos c deplora'slc

- 10 incdoquacy i n N.S.W.
(Rcf. Sdction Tv t h i s r 3 o r t ) .

a g a r t f r o u thcr f u n c t i o n s u n d a t a k m by t h e m Connittods, t h e i r s+--

ciel significance

licjs

i n t h e way thzt t h d i r v i k l work i s linkoi:

UT

with

l o o a l g o v , r m ~ n t , mnd

smsc of connunity action.

I n iLustralic wc 1 c m e

thcsu functions, i f not u n a t t m p t d d , t o v o l u n t m y groups of a vcry widc r x t of o S j a c t s z n d ncthodsj fow of thun hava the l o c a l contro f r o n which t o

Such a connittcrl; would n i n i n i s o tho o l m c n t of p , c t a n c l i s n still

s t r o n g i n B.S.Y.

Aboriginzl Ualfarc provision, booauso of tho l i t t l o p r t i c i Thuse c o n n i t t o a s could f u n c t i o n

p a t i o n afforded t o Aborigims, a t any l , ~ v d , vury well in t h i s S t a t o .

(a) A m a r & A

1 xrs on ~ ~ r t y _ ~ ~ g r-e~_.

T h i s 3rogranmo i s v i t a l l y rdlovnnt t o t h o Aboriginal situ,-.tion boCE.UBC

it r q r a s o n t s an o r i g i n a l , conprahansivu an& urgent cpproach t o t h c

tdrr.1

a r o b l m of both long

2nd inrtiodioto b a t t o m a n t of p o p l d , low i n s k i l l G

i;nd o f t u n brandod a8 fi:iluros.

Its basic mduavour i s t o combat povorty on a connunity-widc bzsis

by m c n s of concontratod l o c a *l 3r o E m e o , t o bo h i c v i l y subsidisod froE c
I_.-------.--..-*

Fodcrral lovol.

T h i s i s diffarclnt from our i d o a of iiqdcmonting

II _

&tnL.-+

policy, t o bo l o c a l l y a d n i n i s t m o d , and our t r i f l i n g with S t c t o fin?.ncos,

whan s n a t i o n a l p r o b l m i s ct iasuo, ovdn though i t doos have d i f f o r o n t rmif i o a f i o n s i n oaah S t c t o . Thd Anoriocns bdlicrvcr c i d must r d l y on l o c a l i n i t i a t i v o and tho ?,p2rocch nuet bo a oonprohonsivo onu, not r l r e t r i a t o d just t o w d f m u work, or oducation alono.

An i n 2 o r t a n t s u c t i o n of tho prograrnno is r o n i n i s c m t of tho Now D a l ,

and uur own sohono t o r d p s t r i a t o V.7.11 ax-sorVioJnont, w i t h provision of

l o a n s f o r rurcl and i n d u s t r i a l invdstnont l i k d l y t o ----..--i n c r s a s o f c m i l . incono -9 on o long rango basis. (i)

--

T h noet s i g n i f i c a n t s o c t i o n of tho progrcrmo i s t h s work-training

;WO-

j a a t e , diroctitd for unskillod and uncrnployod young paoplo, as woll as unmi>logod f s t h o r s and o t h o r monbors of noody f m i l i o a . Thosu p o q l c

aoquiro &ills as thoy work i n thrco stqps of o n 2 l o p o n t , whioh arc:

(A) A ehort w r i o d of work on public p r o j w t s , (which i n t h i s country

,

1 now Soaiofg, 1 6 t h J u l y , 1964.