2011 - Theses - Flinders University

White Lives in a Black Community: The lives of Jim Page and Rebecca Forbes in the Adnyamathanha communityTracy SpencerVolume Three Appendices:Creative Life WritingSection Three: Contact Zonethe adjoining leased property, but our experience, which covers 30 years of AustralianMission work, proves to us that that is useless, the missionaries and teacher must live atthe camp. 130Frank Garnett’s reply is brief. The matter is under consideration, but no decision can bereached until the proprietor returns from England.Some months later, Violet Turner raises the matter again, and again tries her hand at mapmaking showing where she believes a fence should be erected around ‘the natives’ existingcamp and the ‘well which the natives sunk for themselves before the land was leased.’ 131By now, the owners of Burr well Station are home, and reply within the week. No. Theowners will not consider excising any part of the lease: it would cripple production on a smallstation, and the lands required contains ‘our best waters.’ But yes. They would be prepared tosell the whole property ‘walk-in walk-out’ to the Government for the purpose, for the sum of£15,000, a tidy sum for the ‘going concern’ in the midst of drought. 132 Neither God nor theGovernment are forthcoming with the funds, and nothing more is said.Rev Sexton tries his hand again the following year, when the issue is raised at the newlyformed Aborigines Advisory Council. Seeing an opportunity, the Council advises the ChiefProtector, to secure land for a reserve whenever the present lease of the Maynard PastoralCompany might expires. 133 But the UAM has not waited. Mr J. Page is already a guest of theMaynard Pastoral Co. and the UAM is busily corresponding with the Director of Educationabout establishing a school there. 13478