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INJINOO - The History of Contact to the Present

The predecessors of the Injinoo people of today lived a semi-nomadic lifestyle for several thousand years prior to the arrival of the first Europeans - the Dutch in 1606. William Janz gave the first European names to be assigned to continental Australia along the west coast of Northern Cape York. Others also passed this area until the significant landing of Captain Cook in 1770 at Possession Island (Thunadha). In 1848 the ill-fated overland expedition to Cape York (Pajinka) set out from Cardwell led by Edmund Kennedy. His shooting of Aboriginal people along the way saw his own death by spears at Escape River just south of the Cape.

The first real incursion into Northern Cape York Peninsula by non-aboriginal people came with the Queensland Government's decision to establish a settlement at Somerset (Pulu) in 1864, with the appoinment of John Jardine as Somerset's first Police Magistrate. In the same year his sons Frank and Alexander, left Rockhampton with a mob of cattle to establish a cattle station at Somerset.

During this drive the Jardine party encountered much resistance from Aboriginal people along the way. Extracts from the Jardines' diaries (as reported by Byerley 1867) tell the outcome of one such encounter.

"The natives at first stood up courageously, but either by accident or through fear, despair or stupidity they got huddled in a heap, in, and at the margin of the water, when ten carbines poured volley after volley into them from all directions, killing and wounding with every shot ...with about thirty being killed ... Many more must have been wounded and probably drowned, for fifty nine rounds were counted as discharged".

It is not surprising that the oral history of the Injinoo peoples recounts many massacres by the Jardines and their supporters over the next forty years.

Ironically, Somerset had been recommended as a suitable place for a settlement because of earlier friendly relations between the Aboriginal people there and people on earlier survey expeditions. However the following extract from Jagg, a missionary/teacher at Somerset in those early years,describes the turning point in that relationship.

"Somerset, Cape York ...One of the Aborigines was accused of stealing an axe (Subsequently found not to have been stolen) and on his refusing to give it up, he was flogged as an example to the others. The injured man at once made his wrongs known to the various tribes surrounding the place, and their indignation vented itself by an attack on the Marines, two of whom were speared. One of these died in the Sydney Hospital about nine months after, the other having received

but a light flesh wound, soon recovered ...about 3 weeks after the attack, 6 of the Aborigines were seen in a canoe, fishing at some distance from the settlement, south of the Island called Albany (Pabaju) and being pursued were shot. At another time a Black trying to hide himself in a tree and being seen was also shot and another who had ventured to the edge of the scrub to recover some todacco he had placed under a stone, suffered the same fate. Thus 8 men were killed in retaliation, not one of them having been the man who caused the death of the Marine who died nine months afterwards. Of course this ended all intercourse between Whites and the Blacks, the latter not being allowed nearer the settlement than a certain boundary line on pain of being shot and, as they had sad proof of the deadly effects of the rifle, they paid every respect to the prohibition." From 'The Jagg Reports 1867-1868' in Moore, 1979.

Whilst Jagg and his associate, Kennet, speak highly of the moral culture and the peaceful family living of the Aboriginal people with whom they lived, John Jardine's description of them was that they were "only good enough to be shot". Continuing resistance from the Aboriginal people saw the Government Station moved in 1877 from Somerset to Thursday Island. Frank Jardine continued his cattle station (and his cruelty, although it mellowed in his later years,) until his death there in 1919.

In the space of forty years, the Aboriginal population in northern Cape York was reduced from Government estimates of over three thousand to less than a tenth of that number, chiefly as a result of the arrival of the government settlement at Somerset (Pulu) and the construction of the overland telegraph line straight through the centre of Cape York Peninsula. Introduced diseases, shootings and kidnappings dislocated the indigenous culture that had existed for thousands of years.

Around the turn of the century however, the remains of the semi-nomadic family tribes, occupying the last two hundred kilometres of Cape York Peninsula, sharing a common language but with different dialects,came together of their own volition and settled at the mouth of Cowal Creek (Small River - Injinoo). The coming together of the survivors of the impact of non-aboriginal settlement saw the establishment by themselves of a community that brought together five major groupings: Anggamuthi (Seven Rivers - western), Atambaya (MacDonell - central) Wuthathi (Whitesand - south-eastern), Yadhaykenu (Cairn Cross - eastern) and Gudang (Red Island, Somerset - northern).

This settlement was 'discovered' by the Chief Protector of Aborigines in 1916. He wrote that Cowal Creek (Injinoo) "uehiclz was established by themselves and ...carried on without European management" and in 1920 (Q.P.P vol. 2, p.9) "These people support themselves entirely by working their own fishing vessels and gardens, selling their produce in Thursday Island":

In 1923 the community invited the church and their first Minister, Fr.Francis

Bowie, a Badu Islander was appointed. (In 1970 Father Patrick Brisbane,an Injinoo Aboriginal man from the Atambaya tribe,became the first ordained Anglican Aboriginal priest in Australia. Both priests are buried in the new Church of St.Michael and all Angels at Injinoo.)

In 1936 the community built its first school and had their first teacher appointed, Jomen Tamwoy (also from Badu Island), who taught at the school until the Queensland Government closed it in 1970. The school building then became the licensed canteen. In the school strict instructions from the Government forbade the speaking of the people's traditional languages. (The community in 1994 has just established the start of their own primary school again as the experiment of the children going daily to the State School in Bamaga has failed). The revival of traditional language has been an initiative of the community in recent years.

The December 1, 1939 issue of Walkabout reported on the community: "It is the only settlement of its kind on the mainland that is run by the natives themselves without assistance from the whites; not one white person has had anything to do with its development... the settlement has a population of about 250 natives, who live in a well planned village, containing many rows of neat, well constructed bark cottages. "

At this time the community was self supporting and self administering with its own elected council who acted as law providers and magistrates with the council operating its own policing system.

The Second world War was the next major upheaval in the lives of the Injinoo people. Members of the community were actively involved in the war effort both in the construction of facilities and in the water transport unit to New Guinea. The arrival of thousands of Australian and American soldiers to the area and the establishment of an airbase (Higginsfield), impacted heavily on the community and its day to day activities. Some of the women reported that they lived in fear of some of the soldiers' intentions, and many of the people moved to bush camps to escape the soldiers, leaving only the older people in the village. The men of the community report that as children it was their responsibility to act as couriers running from early morning to dark carrying messages for the soldiers from the wharf at Muttee Head (Ukumba), Higginsfield airfield, the hospital, the communications base close to the tip and back to Muttee Head.

After the war the community was placed under the control of the Department of Native Affairs. Their lands, livestock and gardens were confiscated. Their movements were restricted and the people could only enter and leave their area with the permission of the white government manager, who could also remove any person to anywhere else in Queensland away from family and community for such offences as insolence and disobedience. The policy of removing children had been occuring on the Injinoo lands since before World War I, with police taking children away and sending them to mission dormitories such as Hopevale. (It is only in recent years that people from Injinoo have been able to reunite with their families

in other communities).

In the late 1940's and early 1950's some Saibai Islanders (a few kilometres south of New Guinea) came in old pearling luggers to the mainland. In subsequent years they were assisted by the Injinoo people to establish their settlements at Ithunja (Seisia) and Ichirru (Bamaga). Unfortunately for the Injinoo people the arrival of these new settlers meant that the Government, in the guise of the Department of Native Affairs, was to set up its administrative centre in Bamaga and severly restrict the Injinoo people's rights, activities and movements.

This Government control was then built upon in the 1960's with the forceable removal,at gun point,of the Mapoon people from their traditional lands north of Weipa to make way for proposed mining by Comalco. Following their removal from their community by the police their houses, store and church were burnt down to prevent people returning to the area. (The area was never used for mining and since the mid 1980's there has been a vigorous drive by Mapoon people to reestablish a community on those lands again.) The new- comrnunity was established at Mandingu (now New Mapoon). In the same year a community was established at Alau (Umagico) by the removal of the Aboriginal people from Lockhart River. Later many of the people returned to Lockhart River to live with their own people.

In 1985, under the Community Services Act, the Injinoo Community along with other communities in Queensland were given the right to re-establish self administration; the Department of Community Sewices started the process of handing over control to the residents. At that time the Council employed five local people and had an annual turnover of $200,000 generated from the canteen. (It is surprising to many people when they find out that under Government policy of the day,it was illegal for an Aboriginal Community to operate any business other than the sale of alcohol.) With the Community Services. Act Aboriginal Communities received the right for the first time to enter into other business activities in order to create both employment and profits.

The State Government gave financial assistance to the Injinoo Community of $60,000/year to assist in the payment of Community Police, Parks and Gardens employees and provide $50/fortnight to the five elected Community Councilors. No assistance was provided in relation to the establishment of an office or administration, no funds were provided for training and no staff were made available to assist the community in setting up an administrative or accounting structure relevent to the Community's needs.

The greatest benefits came to the community in 1988, when the community joined the Federal Government's CDEP (Community Development Employment Program). The community voted unanimously to abolish unemployment benefits in their community. Instead, the Council received the equivalent of the residents' unemployment benefits and contracted with the Government to provide employment opportnities at least equivalent in value to the original unemployment benefit. If a person worked he or she was paid.

Under this program, in which virtually all aboriginal and islander communities in Queensland participate, there- was a further payment of about 20% of the total unemployment benefit equivalent paid to the Council for the purchase of materials and tools to assist the creation of employment opportunities that would enable the development and improvement of the community's infrastructure. This meant that the community residents would normally work for at least two days a week. Today there are over 250 community employees working in the general Council responsibilities of administration, housing and construction, health, education, women and child care services, parks and gardens, roadworks, community policing, sport and recreation.

As well the Community has established the Injinoo Aboriginal Corporation which owns and operates the Pajinka Wilderness Lodge and is developing the Jardine River Roadhouse and an airline agency. It is intended to take over the operation of other community enterprises that have been established in recent years by the Community Council including the foodstore, variety store, canteen, fuel centre, nursery and readymix concrete plant.

Further, in recognition of the people's responsibility for the management and care of their traditional lands and to minimize the impact of tourism and maximise the opportunities and experience of visitors, the Injinoo Community has established the Injinoo Apudhama Association representing the traditional land owning groups within Injinoo. The responsibilities of this group include land management and land care of virtually all of the last two hundred kilometres of Cape York Peninsula. This involves responsibility for the ranger service, for the development of camp facilities and the provision of information, waste management, erosion control, the protection of sites, the improvement of access and the development of walkways, fire management and feral animal control as well as the protection of endangered flora and fauna.

In all, the Community of over 500 has large responsibilities for itself,its people and the land both now and in the future.The Community's economic resources to carry out these responsibilities are limited as statistics relating to health, housing and education readily show. Recent changes in Federal Government policies suggest that over the next decade there should be a serious addressing of these past neglects so that aboriginal people may look to a future much brighter than some elements of the past.

The Injinoo Community today is an integral part of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community. It identifies strongly with the other mainland Aboriginal communities of Cape York and the history of trade and cultural exchange between the traditional mainland people and the Torres Strait Islanders from Badu, Mabuiag and Murray (Mer) Islands extends back well before European contact.

Injinoo is a member of the Aboriginal Co-ordinating Council, the Penisula ATSIC

Regional Council and the Cape York Land Council. As an active member of t} Cape York Peninsula Development Association since its inception, Injinoo h; taken an active role in fostering reconcilliation of people living and working in t} Cape, establishing common ground between aboriginal and non-aboriginal peop based on economic development and cultural respect.

The Injinoo Community Council of 7 councillors elected at triennial elections th coincide with Queensland Local Goverment elections are charged with the goc rule and government of the Injinoo Area under the Community Servicf (Aborigines) Act which confers the powers of local government on the Counci The Council oerates under by-laws drawn up through long discussions ar workshops with the community. These by-laws, an extract of which appears lat( in this handbook, have been ratified by the Queensland Government.

In Injinoo Community is currently taking charge of its traditional lands and negotiating with the State Government in line with recent State and Feder Government legislation relating to the recognition of Native Title.