Footprints: Along the Cape York Sand Beaches

251 Pages·2000·14.92 MB·English

by  Nonie Sharp

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FOOTPRINTS ALONG THE
CAPE YORK SANDBEACHES
DEDICATION
This book is dedicated to the people of the Cape York region who provided their
inspiration, their kindly assistance, their knowledge and their strength.

FIRST PUBLISHED IN 1992 BY
Aboriginal Studies Press
for the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
GPO Box 553, Canberra ACT 2601
The views expressed in this publication are those of the author and not
necessarily those of the Australian Institute of Abonginal and Torres Strait
Islander Studies
@ NONIE SHARP 1992
Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism
or review, as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part of this publication
may be reproduced by any process whatsoever without the written permission
of the publisher.
NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA CATALOGUINGIN PUBLICATION DATA:
Sharp, Nonie
Footprints along the Cape York sandbeaches
Bibliography
ISBN 0 85575 230 0
[l] Aborigines, Australian - Queensland - Cape York Peninsula -
History I Title
COVES PHOTOS: Paradise rifle bird, photographer/NPlAW Turtle and milkwood
trees, courtesy David Horton Dugong, Gaynor MacDonald, courtesy AIATSIS
Pictorial Collection Crocodile, courtesy J and G Rrry Headdress, courtesy of
the Trustees of the British Museum
TYPESET in 9/14 Compugraphic Century Schoolbook by Jackie Covington,
* Aboriginal Studies Press
DESIGNED by Denis French, Aboriginal Studies Press
PRINTED on 115gsm matt art by Southwood Press, Sydney, NSW
CONTENTS
List of Illustrations vii
Preface and Acknowledgements IX
List of Abbreviations xiii
PART I SEAFARERS OF THE CAPE YORK REGION
Introduction - Footprints 3
1 Before the Conquest: Seafarers of the Cape York Region 11
PART I1 THE INVASION: BEGINNING OF AN ENDING?
2 From Contact to Occupation 2 5
3 The Gudang: From Friendly to Hostile Relations: 1864-66 35
4 Missionaries and Settlers: 1867-68 45
5 Terror at Somerset: August 1868-December 1870 65
6 An Ending? 1870-77 77
PART I11 IDENTITIES OLD AND NEW
7 A Community at Injinoo-Cowal Creek: Making a New Life 85
8 The Warrior People of Waubin 105
9 A Return? Wilderness, Tounsm and Customary Land
Ownership 137
PART IV A STORY OF LOVE AND DESTINY
10 Through a Glass, Darkly.. . 155
11 One of Ours: The Story of Nicholas 185
Bibliography 221
Index 229

ILLUSTRATIONS
PLATES
1. Fishing scene, an Islet off Cape York cl845 11
2. Cave painting at Albany Pass 35
3. Cowal Creek: the first years 85
4. At Cowal Creek, 1911 86
5. Wees Nawia, Chairman, Kubin Community Council,
holding bazdamal baba 124
6. The catch: Evans Bay-Podaga 1980 137
7 Making ashes damper at Evans Bay-Podaga 1980 139
8. Reclaiming Rabau Nguki, Muralag 1989, Elders
Eselina Nawie and Maleta Luta 145
9. Reclaiming Rabau Nguki, Muralag 1989, Elder
Billy Wasaga 146
10. Reclaiming Rabau Nguki, Muralag 1989, Roney Wasaga,
chairman of the Muralag Tribal (Torres Strait Islander)
Corporation 147
11. The milkwood tree at Utingu after fifty years 159
12. Utingu after fifty years, under the milkwood tree 160
(znset J McL, 1911)
13. Nicholas Wymarra, cl967 217
MAPS
1. The Cape York Region and its Neighbourhood (znset
the Range of the Double Outrigger Canoe on Cape
York Peninsula) XlV
2. The Northern Cape York Peninsula with Language
Localities and Place Names 12
3. The Islands of the Kaurareg-Muralag Tribal People,
Prince of Wales Islands 106
4. Muralag, Pnnce of Wales Island 128

PREFACE AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The idea for this book goes back to 1979 when I first visited the community at
Kubin Village, Moa Island, where Wees Nawia, the chairman there, told me the
story of his people, the Kaurareg, of their close ties with the people of northern
Cape York Peninsula (NCYP), of the destruction of the tribes close to Somerset,
and of his own life. Soon after, Ted Wymarra gave me the story of his own family,
his father and mother Nicholas and Marjone Wymarra, his grandfather, Jack
McLaren who lived at Utingu (Simpson Bay) from 1911 to 1919, his grandmother,
a Gudang woman named Wandihnu, and his relative, Billy Wymarra, a Yadhaigana
man. He asked me to write their story and make it known widely.
This work was given a major fillip early in 1988 when Roney Wasaga,
the President of the then newly-formed Muralag Tribal Committee, approached
me to assist Muralag tribal people with work on the history of their dispossession
in the context of their current determined and organised attempt to take charge
of their affairs, their lands and their culture. Nobody could do that for them, they
concluded at the inaugural meeting of their organisation on 29 November 1987,
'they must stand up and fight for what is rightfully theirs'
In August and in December 1980 I visited Injinoo-Cowal Creek
Community, the site to which most of the survivors of the groupings of NCYP
gravitated around 1913 to 1916. With Marjone Wymarra I also visited Somerset,
Evans Bay, Cape York and Utingu. Snowy Woosup recorded the unpublished story
of the origin and voluntary formation of the Cowal Creek Community. Accounts
were also given to me by Larry MacDonald, Colina Pablo, Edward Wymarra, Alick
Pablo, Tina Pablo, Arthur Woosup, Andrew Peters, Muen Lifu, Mae Mara, Sammy
Mara, Raina Peters, Wilfred Bowie and Sepi Woosup.
I would like to thank the Injinoo Community Council and the Chairman,
Daniel Ropeyarn, for their assistance, especially in making their files of the 1980s
available to me in 1989 and 1990. David Byrne gave me most helpful information
on recent events, directing me to significant documents and answering my
questions. Many people of the Cape York region helped in creating this book. To
Lizzie Nawia, who always made me welcome at her home at Kubin, I am deeply
grateful; Sepi Woosup, Millie Tamwoy, Alice Tom, each kindly took me into their
homes. Marjorie Wymarra contributed to the story of her late husband, Nicholas;
she also acted as guide and friend. I would also like to thank the late Jenna
Shibashaki and Manji Abu at Thursday Island, who contributed to the story of
Nicholas Wymarra.
People at Kubin, Nurupai, Townsville, Weipa South and Thursday Island
made important contributions: Eselina Nawie, Maleta Luta, Isaiah Wigness and
IX
X FOOTPRINTS ALONG THE CAPE YORK SANDBEACHES
the late Manu Wigness; Annie Wigness and Osa Bosen; the late Newcamp Wasaga,
Saila Miskin and Knsmas Young; and Billy Wasaga, Mackie Rattler, Lila Eseli, Adie
Paul and Napia Bana. Roney Wasaga, president of the Muralag Tribal (TSI)
Corporation, gave mqor assistance and encouragement towards completion of the
manuscript.
Flo Kennedy acted throughout as confidant and friend. In 1989 we
travelled together to Injinoo to research current developments in the northern
Cape York Peninsula.
David Moore not only encouraged me to complete the book; he also
took time to read it carefully; for his criticisms and suggestions I am most grateful.
Bruce Rigsby made helpful suggestions on language and other matters. Peter
Pinney's and Estelle Runcie's imaginative and hard hitting account of Frank
Jardine's years at Somerset provided an early inspiration for this book; Peter
Pinney's critical comments on Part IV are highly valued. Annie Holden's comments
on the manuscript, especially on the period at Injinoo in the second half of the
1980s, are greatly appreciated. Noel Loos, F'iona Mackie and Helen Sharp each
made valuable suggestions to preliminary drafts of Part IV. I would like to thank
Steven Mullins and the University of New England for allowing me to read his
Ph D thesis, 'Tbrres Strait 1864-84: A History of Occupation and Culture Contact',
and to quote from it in various places; the staff of the Queensland State Archives
for their valuable assistance; the Mitchell, Dixson and Oxley libraries; the Australian
Institute of Aboriginal and Tbrres Strait Islander Studies; Mr Ted Done for making
available the dianes and personal papers of his father, Rev Canon John Done; and
Bishop John Bayton.
I am especially indebted to the School of Social Sciences, La Trobe
University. The Research and Travel Committee made funds available in 1989
explicitly for the completion of this project; its earlier assistance with my research
work in the Tbrres Strait Islands, which began in 1978, contributed to this book.
The secretarial staff of the Department of Sociology made an invaluable
contribution in typing drafts of the manuscript. I wish to thank particularly Beth
Robertson who took major responsibility for the manuscript, not only typing most
of it with the kind assistance of Therese Lennox, but always taking a personal
and concerned interest in it. Judy Carr and Noelle Vallance kindly assisted with
its final production.
I wish to thank the Mitchell Library for permission to publish Fishing
Scene, An Islet off Cape York cl845 (Plate 1) reproduced from Harden Melville,
Sketches in Australia and the Adjacent Islands.. . (Plate 12, ML, Q980M); David
Moore for permission to reproduce Somerset Cave One (cd(3)-11), (Plate 2); and
the Carpentarian (Plate 3). Plate 4, At Cowal Creek 1911 (Enclosure to Despatch