Davis uncovers racism in Australia
Discrimination and attitudes towards the aborigines.
The aborigines suffer from institutionalised racism. Individuals in a position of power discriminate against the First Australians, who find it difficult to survive.
The depiction of individuals such as Mr Neal and Mr Neville shows their contempt towards the First Australians whom they treat as second class citizens.
The ration system makes it difficult for the aborigines. This is because the aborigines are denied essential food and shelter, such as blankets, soap and meat. Milly tells the sergeant ‘My girl’s in hospital with pleurisy, and we want blankets’.
Davis criticises the conditions and suggests that the aborigines are being treated like cave men. Milly says ‘the bloody place is colder than the north pole’, indicating that Cissie got sick because of the terrible conditions they are living in.
Racist attitude/mentality/view/ towards aborigines.
Davis criticises the racist attitudes of many of the white people towards the aborigines.
The sergeant says ‘you have three healthy men bludging off you, too lazy to work’. This is in fact not true because the aborigines are exploited and not paid decently for their work.
Milly tells the sergeant that Joe cut a hundred posts and was only paid with ‘a pair of second hand boots’.
Davis also criticises the white people who believe that the aborigines are ‘savages’. Mr Smith objects (complains) about the aboriginal settlement being too close to his property. Mr Smith believes that ‘he wouldn’t be able to go out and leave his wife home alone at night’.
Davis criticises this view, by showing that it is the white people, who are violent and who sexually and physically abuse the First Australians.
The aborigines are treated as if they are inferior to white citizens.
The government treats the aborigines as second-class citizens. It is clear that they regard the First Australians as part of the natural landscape. They belong to the ‘Fisheries, Forestry, and Wildlife’ department. This shows that the white people believe that the aborigines are ‘savages’.
Mr Brown who is on welfare, is given 7 shillings a month, while the aborigines are only given 2 shillings. This shows us that the government discriminates against Indigenous Australians.
Jimmy is treated with contempt when he is locked up (incarcerated). He complains about the ‘piss bucket’ which is leaking. The sergeant tells him to ‘shut up’. Jimmy feels humiliated and ‘hurls the bucket against the wall’. Because of this he is also charged with damaging government property and his jail sentence is increased.
This is another example of the aborigines being treated like animals.
Political
The aborigines are moved around from settlement to settlement for political reasons and this is unjust because they are forced to leave all their possessions behind. The government moves the entire Government Northam camp for political reasons. The government says that they are moving them for health reasons; however only 4 in 89 people have scabies. Jimmy states ‘wetjalas in this town don’t want us ere’. As a result the government moves the aborigines because otherwise they will get a ‘hidin in the electin’. [page 45]
Abuse of women
Davis shows how aboriginal women are constantly mistreated by the white men.
Out of 80 women who went to work in the domestic service, 30 returned pregnant.
Mary is afraid of working on a farm because she fears she will be raped. Her friend worked on a farm and ‘the bosses sons used to belt her up, and you know force her’.
When Mr Neal sends a girl to the hospital, it means that he will rape them.
White/Black stories, myths and backgrounds.
Davis uncovers racism in Australia, by showing that the aborigines have been abused and systematically murdered by the white people.
Billy relates the 1926 massacre that killed many in his tribe, purely because one white man was killed.
In Western Australia, in 72 years, the population of 13,000 aborigines was reduced to 1419 – many of whom are half castes. This shows that the numbers of aborigines have declined sharply – possibly due to white intervention (murder).
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