Aboriginal Studies Stage 6: HSC Course Social Justice and Human Rights Issues

Transcription

1 Aboriginal Studies Stage 6: HSC Course Social Justice and Human Rights Issues Community/ies to be studied Topic area Unit duration Wurundjeri Housing 7 weeks Unit outline Skill focus The focus of this Part is the examination of the social justice and human rights issues from a global perspective, including a comparative investigation of two topics. This will be studied through a Comparative Case Study on: the Local Aboriginal Community/ies (must be the same community/ies for all Parts) AND a National Indigenous Australian Community (may be different communities for each topic) AND an International Indigenous Community (may be different communities for each topic). Analysing and making inferences from statistics Synthesising information from a range of sources Big ideas/key concepts The key concepts students learn are that: the experience of colonisation still impacts on Indigenous peoples around the world the relationship between Indigenous housing issues and regaining land is significant Indigenous people have developed initiatives to improve access to social justice and human rights Why does this learning matter? The learning matters because: an understanding of the ongoing impact of colonisation is fundamental to understanding contemporary housing issues for Indigenous peoples an understanding of the importance of regaining land is fundamental for social justice to occur it is critical to acknowledge and understand the role of Indigenous peoples in improving contemporary cultural, political, social and economic life for their own communities These materials ma y contain opinions that are not shared by t he Board of Studie s NSW. 1

2 Aboriginal Studies HSC Course: Social Justice and Human Rights Issues Place in scope and sequence/building the field This unit draws on knowledge developed in the Preliminary course, focusing on the colonisation of Aboriginal peoples in Australia. Students will extend this knowledge through a study of Indigenous people s housing conditions in Australia and overseas to enable them to develop a deep knowledge and understanding of contemporary social justice and human rights issues common to Indigenous communities around the world. Target outcomes H1.1 explains different viewpoints of invasion and colonisation and evaluates the impact of these viewpoints on Aboriginal peoples H1.2 analyses and discusses the social justice and human rights issues that are contemporary consequences of the colonisation of Aboriginal and other Indigenous peoples H1.3 assesses the representation of Aboriginal peoples and cultures for bias and stereotyping H2.1 analyses the importance of land as an aspect of contemporary issues impacting on Aboriginal peoples H2.3 discusses and analyses consequences of colonisation on contemporary Aboriginal cultural, political, social and economic life H3.1 assesses the effectiveness of government policies, legislation and judicial processes in addressing racism and discrimination H3.2 evaluates the impact of key government policies, legislation and judicial processes on the socioeconomic status of Aboriginal peoples and communities H3.3 compares and evaluates current initiatives that reassert the social, economic and political independence of Aboriginal and/or Indigenous peoples H4.1 investigates, analyses and synthesises information from Aboriginal and other perspectives H4.2 undertakes community consultation and fieldwork H4.3 communicates information effectively from Aboriginal perspectives, using a variety of media H4.4 applies ethical research practices H4.5 compares and evaluates the histories and cultures of Indigenous Australian peoples with international Indigenous peoples. Content from Research and Inquiry Methods H4.1 investigates, analyses and synthesises information from Aboriginal and other perspectives H4.3 communicates information effectively from Aboriginal perspectives, using a variety of media H4.5 compares and evaluates the histories and cultures of Indigenous Australian peoples with international Indigenous peoples 2

3 Aboriginal Studies HSC Course: Social Justice and Human Rights Issues Students learn about (LA) collecting data from primary sources secondary research including reading texts, reports, bibliographies, accessing opinion polls, government statistics, print media, CD-ROM, internet and other appropriate technologies Processing information: analysing statistical data to interpret meaning and make generalisations converting raw data to a useful format analysing information from a variety of sources judging usefulness and reliability of data identifying propaganda and bias Students learn to (LT) examine data to interpret meaning and differentiate between fact and opinion distinguish between quantitative and qualitative data synthesise information from a variety of sources and perspectives The learning experiences of this unit have been organised using the syllabus Students learn about content statements. Each of these is indicated in bold print at the top of each new set of learning experiences. Each learning experience builds upon the previous learning experiences so that the student develops increasing knowledge and understanding of the unit as they proceed. On completion, students will have developed the depth and breadth of knowledge and understanding to independently examine the social and justice issues relating to the Wurundjeri people AND compare and contrast this with other Indigenous communities. The Evidence of Learning activities build a body of knowledge, understanding and skills in the Students learn to areas of the syllabus. In most cases, the focus of the Evidence of Learning activities is thus twofold: to enable students to show what they know and understand to provide opportunities to apply this to a range of problems and issues activities regarding the social and justice experiences of Indigenous peoples. 3

4 Aboriginal Studies HSC Course: Social Justice and Human Rights Issues Websites Books/Articles Audio/Visual/Multimedia

5 Aboriginal Studies HSC Course: Social Justice and Human Rights Issues Content from Housing Students learn about (LA) the impact of colonisation and subsequent events on Aboriginal housing and the environment statistics about Aboriginal people s and communities housing standards mainstream government housing programs and strategies to address Aboriginal housing issues, including culturally appropriate programs and strategies impact of housing on Aboriginal lifestyle factors the importance of regaining land in addressing the housing situation for Aboriginal peoples Aboriginal initiatives to improve housing, including community-based programs social and political changes necessary to improve Aboriginal people s housing standards similarities and differences in housing issues for Aboriginal and other Indigenous peoples and communities Students learn to (LT) identify pre-contact Aboriginal systems and draw conclusions on the impact of colonisation on Aboriginal housing and quality of life use basic statistics such as tables, graphs and charts to assist in the analysis of social indicators on housing make deductions and draw conclusions using social indicators to analyse current Aboriginal and Indigenous socioeconomic status in housing synthesise information to evaluate the connection between land, culture and housing status compare Aboriginal and other Indigenous peoples responses and initiatives to improve their current socioeconomic status and housing construct hypotheses about the future of Aboriginal housing and assess the implications in relation to social justice and human rights issues 5

6 Aboriginal Studies HSC Course: Social Justice and Human Rights Issues Learning experiences Housing Evidence of learning The impact of colonisation and subsequent events on Aboriginal housing and the environment 1. Students complete WORKSHEET 1. With these activities students will: locate and identify the Wurundjeri people present an overview of pre-contact Wurundjeri life, focusing on the importance of country and housing recognise that the Wurundjeri people are one of four Aboriginal groups belonging to the Kulin people living in the Melbourne district recognise that these four groups are exceptionally close, that they intermarried to strengthen ties and traded between themselves identify that in the early 1830s they suffered dispossession of their homelands at the hands of the Europeans. 2. Students complete WORKSHEET 2 and WORKSHEET 3. With these activities students will: account for the impact of early European colonisation in the locality of Melbourne and its impact on the Wurundjeri people identify the impact of violence, disease, dispersal, dispossession and institutionalisation on Wurundjeri housing and their environment. 3. Students complete WORKSHEET 4. With these activities students will: identify how the impact of colonisation resulted in dispersal and relocation to the area now known as Collingwood and Fitzroy. develop an understanding of the disproportionate levels of social disadvantage, including separation from their homelands, overcrowding and homelessness, that Wurundjeri face as a result of colonisation. Students describe traditional Wurundjeri peoples and customs and how colonisation impacted on the housing and environment of the Wurundjeri people. 6

7 Aboriginal Studies HSC Course: Social Justice and Human Rights Issues Learning experiences Housing Statistics about the Wurundjeri people s and communities housing standards Students undertake research to complete WORKSHEET 5 to review data and gather information about the levels of Indigenous disadvantage across Australia, in Victoria and at the local (Yarra) area, with a focus on housing. Students use three different sets of statistics to gain information about current levels of disadvantage facing Indigenous people, both generically and specific to housing; as well as information about the Wurundjeri people in particular. Sources of statistics include: Australian Bureau of Statistics: Victorian Health: Yarra City Shire Council: Evidence of learning Students identify and draw conclusions about the key issues relating to Indigenous housing Under heading (1) General Disadvantage of Indigenous Australians, students are to: Use the information from WORKSHEET 5 (Source A: ABS Australian Social Trends Report 2000) to draw column graphs or in a similar format show how the relative status of Indigenous people compares to the total population for the following social indicators. Supply comments where appropriate. Population (as percentage of total population, where they live, and age structure). Education (post-compulsory participation and qualification rates). Employment (unemployment rates, types of employment, CDEP work). Income. Living arrangements/housing (number of people/household, size of income/capita, shared housing, home ownership). Make detailed comments for this social indicator. Crime (prison rate and age, age and duration of incarceration, types of crime, role of violence). Health (birth weights, perinatal deaths, life expectancy, alcohol-related diseases, other diseases eg diabetes, heart disease etc). Under heading (2) Relative Disadvantages within Indigenous Housing, students are to: Use WORKSHEET 5 (Source B: Data from the 1999 ABS Australian Housing Survey Housing Stock: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander housing in non-remote areas) to present a summary of the information given in the form of Indigenous compared to non-indigenous Australians. You will need to draw up tables and/or graphs to show this summary. (Note these figures relate to those residing in non-remote areas, including rural towns and cities.) The summary should include: number of Indigenous households renting compared with non-indigenous 7 Students synthesise data/information to construct graphs/charts analysis of the socioeconomic status of Australian Indigenous people compared to other Australians. Students synthesise data/ information to construct tables/graphs/charts analysis of the housing status of Australian Indigenous people living

8 Aboriginal Studies HSC Course: Social Justice and Human Rights Issues Learning experiences Housing percentage of Indigenous living in non-remote areas for urban, major urban, rural household composition for couples with children, single-parent families, living alone, group average number of usual residents per house percentage needing more bedrooms number of dwellings in need of repair weekly housing costs price of housing payments for buyers as a percentage of weekly income price of housing payments for renters as a percentage of weekly income housing history/duration of occupancy. 3. Under heading (3) Public Housing for the Wurundjeri People, students are to: Use WORKSHEET 5 (Source C: The Community Profile High-rise Public Housing, City of Yarra assessment of the service needs of low-income families: Collingwood and Fitzroy Housing Estates. A Project of the Jesuit Social Services. Author: Catherine Guinness, May 2000 ( to write a report about public housing conditions where many Aboriginal people live for Aboriginal people in the City of Yarra. Include in your analyses references to age, income, educational level, employment and reliance on social services. Describe living conditions in these estates, with specific reference to: safety and level of crime community participation social interaction physical environment drug use lease and community relations education/training/employment. Students list conclusions in the report. Evidence of learning in non-remote areas compared to other Australians living in nonremote areas. Students are to write a report of the living conditions of people in the Collingwood and Fitzroy high-rise public housing estates. Students are to draw conclusions about how lifestyle/socioeconomic factors relate to such aspects of public housing as: safety and level of crime, community participation, social interaction, the physical environment, drug use, community relations and education/training/ employment. 8

9 Aboriginal Studies HSC Course: Social Justice and Human Rights Issues Learning experiences Housing Evidence of learning Mainstream government housing programs and strategies to address Aboriginal housing issues, including culturally appropriate programs and strategies Students recognise that: home ownership for Wurundjeri people is low the majority live in public housing The Housing Board of Victoria through the Aboriginal Housing Board of Victoria (AHBV), which it manages, is the provider of public housing for many Wurundjeri people it also facilitates Aboriginal people to purchase their own homes together they offer mainstream housing programs for Aboriginal people in Victoria. Students will use the activity sheets listed below and the Aboriginal Housing Board of Victoria website: to locate answers to the following questions. They will discuss their answers with the rest of the class: What is the AHBV s history? (WORKSHEET 6) What is its relationship with the Victorian Housing Board? (WORKSHEET 7) Identify the role, purpose, structure and functions of the AHBV. Describe the duties of Aboriginal Housing Services Officers and the relationship between the AHBV and other Aboriginal Organisations. (WORKSHEET 7) Using the statistics in the section above relating to public housing in the City of Yarra, review public housing conditions in the City of Yarra, especially the suburbs of Fitzroy and Collingwood. Research and make a summary list of the projects and activities employed by the AHBV regarding Indigenous housing. (WORKSHEET 7 and WORKSHEET 8) Focus on the nature, issues and success of these projects and activities, particularly those relating to the high-rise public housing estates in Fitzroy and Collingwood. Students summarise the central issues made in the Aboriginal Housing Board Indigenous Homelessness Report ( (WORKSHEET 9) In groups, students will discuss the broad meaning of Aboriginal homelessness, its specific impact upon Aboriginal people and the summary themes and issues of: Indigenous culture poverty, income and employment issues Students recognise that the majority of Wurundjeri people live in public housing which is partly managed by the Aboriginal Housing Board of Victoria (AHBV). Students identify programs and initiatives employed to address Aboriginal housing issues. Students draw conclusions about the need for selfdetermination (to involve the Wurundjeri people in the planning and decision-making bodies) to effectively address issues relating to housing for Aboriginal people. Students identify the programs employed to address Wurundjeri housing issues and analyse their effectiveness. 9

10 Aboriginal Studies HSC Course: Social Justice and Human Rights Issues Learning experiences Housing the complexity of service issues inadequate housing provision empowerment and disempowerment of policies and practices racism and discrimination. Students develop a fact sheet on homelessness, identifying key issues and writing an explanation of the issues and how they impact on the Wurundjeri community. Students identify how the Victorian Aboriginal Rental Housing Program promotes Aboriginal home ownership, while providing a culturally sensitive service for Aboriginal people seeking housing and appropriate accommodation at an acceptable price. The scheme is administered by the Department of Human Services, but has a forward plan which will ensure that the service will be administered by the Aboriginal community. Students use WORKSHEET 10 (based upon information from the AHBV website to identify its primary focus and make judgements about its appropriateness, achievements and capacity to address Aboriginal housing issues. Students outline the key features, role and achievements of this program. Evidence of learning Student research leading to a class discussion about the nature of Wurundjeri homelessness and its causes. Students draw conclusions about the role of racism, discrimination and homelessness and analyse how practices of self-determination will effectively address homelessness. Students research and make notes which recognise the key features, role and achievements of the Victorian Aboriginal Rental Housing Program. 10

11 Aboriginal Studies HSC Course: Social Justice and Human Rights Issues Learning experiences Housing Evidence of learning Impact of housing on Aboriginal lifestyle factors Teachers discuss the following with students: For most Aboriginal people, especially the Wurundjeri, colonisation had disastrous effects upon their lifestyle. Current statistical information regarding all social indicators shows this. The poor housing conditions of Wurundjeri people are a direct result of colonisation. Where and how the Wurundjeri live is a key integral component of the wellbeing of Wurundjeri people and has a huge impact on their physical and spiritual wellbeing. Students link the process of colonisation to the current socioeconomic status of Aboriginal/ Wurundjeri people (particularly housing). Students create a PowerPoint flow chart to illustrate this impact of housing on Aboriginal lifestyle factors. Working in groups, students are to use the work they have done in this unit, including the statistical work, to discuss how housing impacts upon lifestyle factors. To help, students should also refer to the work they have done with the Indigenous Homelessness Report and public housing. The importance of regaining land in addressing the housing situation for Aboriginal peoples Teachers lead class discussion to recall concepts covered in the Preliminary course regarding the significance of land (or country) to Aboriginal people. The key point in this discussion should be that: Without land (Country), the Wurundjeri people are without economic, social, spiritual and cultural identity. In what ways are current housing initiatives addressing these issues? Students link this discussion to the Indigenous Homelessness Report which stresses how homelessness can have several meanings, including: not belonging to traditional lands; separation from family and kinship networks; and not knowing about your Indigenous identity or what your place is in the community. Students draw conclusions about housing and the following issues: The AHBV in 2000 affirmed that for the housing situation of Aboriginal people to improve, broader historical issues (including rights to land) must be satisfactorily resolved. The Yarra Ranges Shire Council recognises the significance of land and cultural expression to the Wurundjeri people and is committed to the principle of land ownership and maintaining cultural heritage to provide social justice and equality for the Wurundjeri people. Students read WORKSHEET 11 (source: Using this and the Indigenous Homelessness Report, students will explain why the recognition and provision of land rights is so important to Students recall and identify the significance of land to Aboriginal people. Students draw conclusions about the various meanings of homelessness for Aboriginal people and how regaining land and cultural maintenance can help overcome Aboriginal housing issues. Students draw a link 11

12 Aboriginal Studies HSC Course: Social Justice and Human Rights Issues Learning experiences Housing Evidence of learning addressing the problem of homelessness for the Wurundjeri people. This will be helped when students review the work of Nicholls and Cooper to appreciate more fully how and why land is enormously important to overcoming economic and social problems such as housing for Aboriginal people. Students develop a comprehensive list of issues related to the critical links between access to land and the range of socioeconomic indicators especially housing. Aboriginal initiatives to improve housing, including community-based programs Students identify how Aboriginal people and organisations have worked to achieve improvements in housing for Aboriginal people in Melbourne. These will include: individuals activism such as Doug Nicholls and William Cooper Aboriginal Housing Board of Victoria (AHBV) Aboriginal women s and homeless refuges Aboriginal hostels through lobbying, protest or developing practical solutions they have initiated and achieved a great deal. In groups, students use their notes and ideas accumulated from earlier sections of this unit (the AHBV; the Indigenous Homelessness Report at the work of Doug Nicholls and William Cooper, the recommendations from the Community Profile Study of High-rise Public Housing and the Aboriginal Rental Board etc) and by researching housing initiatives from the following list, develop a comprehensive mind map of how Aboriginal initiatives try to improve housing: Aboriginal hostels ( Identify the six Aboriginal hostels in the Melbourne district. What is the name and purpose of each? Aboriginal crisis housing ( Identify the six Aboriginal crisis centres in the Melbourne district. What is the name and purpose of each? between Yarra Council policy on reconciliation and improving Wurundjeri housing conditions. Students make a database of the initiatives taken by Aboriginal people and organisations to improve Wurundjeri housing conditions. Social and political changes necessary to improve Aboriginal people s housing standards Students identify the purpose of the commissioning of the Yarra Aboriginal Partnership Plan ( ): to develop a framework for Wurundjeri reconciliation and social justice to outline the social and political policies necessary to redress disadvantage and improve Aboriginal people s living conditions or housing standards within the City of Yarra to support the Federal Government s process for Reconciliation at a community level. 12

13 Aboriginal Studies HSC Course: Social Justice and Human Rights Issues Learning experiences Housing Students read the plan in draft format at and report its major policy statements and strategies. These could include: recognition of Aboriginal people s culture and history and their role as traditional custodians of the land the need to work in partnership with the Wurundjeri people to make a real and tangible difference at a grassroots level the need to consolidate protocols and guidelines for Wurundjeri involvement, feedback and acknowledgement in decision making to further work with the Yarra Aboriginal Advisory Group (AAG) which is made up of local Aboriginal organisations, individuals and a Wurundjeri representative to provide a critical forum for ongoing consultation and dialogue between the Council and the Aboriginal community across a range of issues such as culture, health, outreach services, community safety and place management the recognition of cultural diversity, the denunciation of racial intolerance and a commitment to the process of Reconciliation greater opportunities for Indigenous housing and employment preserving and protecting Aboriginal cultural heritage and environments acknowledgement of Aboriginal levels of disadvantage: 152 males, 139 females or 0.43% of the total population in 2001; 26.5% under 18 years 0.31% of the total population; 8.8% unemployment, 56% in the workforce; 26% had completed Year 12 or equivalent; and 15% had tertiary qualifications. Evidence of learning Students compile information about the work of the Yarra Aboriginal Partnership Plan and list in dot points those strategies which will improve Aboriginal people s housing standards. Major projects included in the plan: Aboriginal Cultural Signage Project Facilitation of Aboriginal health, Outreach, community safety and employment services Sponsorship and support of mainstream services in cultural, social support and health promotion activities; AHBV NAIDOC Week celebrations at the Collingwood Children s Farm; Parkies Inc to produce NAIDOC in the Park at the Collingwood Housing Estate and the Nextwave youth festivals Indigenous program Commissioned the BEEM Artists to do a major mural at the Collingwood underground carpark Yarra Aboriginal Partnerships Plan Redressing disadvantage; racism and discrimination; empowering/sovereignty; Reconciliation/Treaty The Yarra Aboriginal Partnerships Plan is a grassroots attempt to change the social, economic and political fabric of the Wurundjeri people in the Yarra Valley Students analyse the work of the Yarra Council in the area of Reconciliation and draw conclusions, and present a PowerPoint response to the following: To redress the housing issues facing Aboriginal people, general issues of disadvantage must be addressed side by side 13

14 Aboriginal Studies HSC Course: Social Justice and Human Rights Issues Learning experiences Housing Evidence of learning To be successful in improving Aboriginal people s housing standards, changes needed on a much larger scope nationwide To address issues such as racism and discrimination, respect and equity, knowledge of our shared history, and sovereignty. with those of racism and land ownership. Discuss. Major Assessment Task Using the Yarra Aboriginal Partnership Plan as background, students list points to support a response to the following question: To redress the housing issues facing Aboriginal people, general issues of disadvantage must be addressed side by side with those of racism and land ownership. Discuss. Other work in this unit may also be very useful. Similarities and differences in housing issues for Aboriginal and other Indigenous peoples and communities Working in groups, complete the grid framework in WORKSHEET 12 as evidence in support of a comparison of the similarities and differences in housing issues in the three communities you have studied. This work should be completed only when all three communities have been studied. Students compare similarities and differences in the housing problems facing the Wurundjeri community with housing issues facing other Indigenous communities. 14

15 Aboriginal Studies HSC Course: Social Justice and Human Rights Issues Evaluation of Unit Teacher evaluation Comments/Variations How did the unit rate in these areas? Time allocated for topic Student understanding of content Opportunities for student reflection on learning Suitability of resources Variety of teaching strategies Integration of Quality Teaching strategies Integration of ICTs Date commenced: Date completed: Teacher s signature Head Teacher s signature 15

16 Aboriginal Studies HSC Course: Social Justice and Human Rights Issues Assessment notification and information sheet (to be handed in with task for marking) Name: Class: Topic: Social Justice and Human Rights Issues Area: Housing Task type: Extended response comparative exposition Weight: Due date: Outcomes to be assessed A student: H1.2 analyses and discusses the social and human rights issues that are contemporary consequences of the colonisation of Aboriginal and other Indigenous peoples H3.1 assesses the effectiveness of government policies, legislation and judicial processes in addressing racism and discrimination H3.2 evaluates the impact of key government policies, legislation and judicial processes on the socioeconomic status of Aboriginal peoples and communities Context of the task Students will complete this task towards the end of the unit on housing. The task Write an extended response of approximately 1200 words to the following question. How successful have mainstream government programs and strategies been in addressing those Wurundjeri housing issues which have developed as a result of colonisation and subsequent events? Task requirements Your response should: (a) Briefly outline the impact of colonisation on the human rights of the Wurundjeri community of Victoria (250 words). (b) Describe the key housing needs of the Wurundjeri community (250 words). (c) Outline the mainstream government programs and strategies to address the housing needs of the Wurundjeri community (400 words). (d) Compare and evaluate the effectiveness of these programs and strategies in addressing housingrelated issues and the lives of community members (300 words). Criteria for assessment Students will be assessed on their ability to: research and organise relevant information from a variety of sources including the use of information technology present information clearly from Aboriginal and other perspectives compare and evaluate the impact of government initiatives on specific issues related to housing and the lives of Indigenous peoples. 16

17 Aboriginal Studies HSC Course: Social Justice and Human Rights Issues Sample marking schedule/feedback sheet Note: Teachers may wish to attribute marks or grades to the various components of the task. Task component % Teacher s comment Concise and accurate outline of the impact of colonisation on the human rights of the Wurundjeri community 15 Identification of the key housing needs of the Wurundjeri community 15 Outline of mainstream government programs and strategies to address the housing needs of the Wurundjeri community 40 Comparison and evaluation of the effectiveness of these programs and strategies in addressing housing-related issues and the lives of Wurundjeri community members 30 Overall comment and final grade or mark 17

18 Social Justice and Human Rights Issues Worksheet 1 Pre-colonisation Life Source: Melbourne Botanic Gardens Website: Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne Click on: Education Secondary Indigenous programs Aboriginal Resource Trail. Use this source to help you with the activity below. Activity Design a visual profile entitled: Wurundjeri people and their use of the land prior to colonisation. Focus areas could be: location land management environment sustainability diet utensils the Dreaming, and social organisation. 18

19 Social Justice and Human Rights Issues Worksheet 2 The arrival of the Europeans and life on Coranderrk When the Europeans moved into the Wurundjeri lands they took the land and introduced diseases. Major disputes occurred over land use. Violence, dispersal and dislocation occurred. First contacts with Europeans occurred around the beginning of the 19th century, but initial attempts to establish a settlement failed. William Buckley, an escaped convict, had already lived with the Wurundjeri for over 30 years when John Batman arrived in He was to become a valuable interpreter, but eventually left the Wurundjeri to return to his former lifestyle. On 8 June 1835 John Batman, a representative of the Port Phillip Association, alleged that he met with representatives of the Yarra Yarra tribe who signed title deeds over much of the land of the Woiwurrung to him. A Protectorate system was established in 1839 under a Chief Protector, George Robertson. The Batman Treaty with the Yarra tribe in 1835 was subsequently disallowed by the Government of the Colony of New South Wales, which maintained that only the Crown had the capacity to make grants of land. Batman s diary entry recorded: The other five chiefs were fine men and after a full explanation of what my subject was I purchased two large tracts of land from them about acres more or less and delivered over to them blankets, knives, looking glasses, tomahawks, beads, scissors, flour etc as a payment for the land and also agreed to give them a tribute or rent yearly. A sub-branch of the Native Police Corps was set up in In 1859 the Goulburn and Wurundjeri men petitioned Protector Thomas to secure land for them. Acheron Aboriginal Reserve was established in 1859 but was short-lived. The Wurundjeri shifted to a site near modern-day Healesville in March An Aboriginal reserve was established on 931 hectares and became known as Coranderrk, the Woiwurrung name for the Mint Bush, or Victorian Christmas Bush (Prostanthera lasianthos). The population grew from 40 to 105 residents by They cleared the land to become a competitive farming community. Under Superintendent John Green, a bakery, butcher, numerous houses and a schoolhouse were established. By 1874 the Aborigines Protection Board (APB) was looking to move the residents on, seeing the land as too valuable for Aboriginal people, but Green and the residents fought against this. In 1874 Green was forced to resign due to this. Coranderrk continued to be a reserve for a further 50 years until its closure in Despite protests by the residents, they were never paid for their work they received only rations. Maintenance to the buildings was neglected during this period (the huts were prone to dampness, the schoolhouse was leaking and management had changed five times in ten years). The resulting poor health of the residents was used as one more argument in favour of its closure. 19

20 Worksheet 2 (cont) In 1881 an inquiry into the Board s activities at Coranderrk reported a lack of sympathy for the residents, particularly for their health and wellbeing. The Board was criticised for the ration system used on the reserve. The inquiry recommended that Coranderrk become a permanent reservation in trust for the Aboriginal people living there. With the passing of the Aborigines Act (1886), often referred to as the Half-caste Act, numbers at Coranderrk began to fall. By 1905 there were only 72 residents left and in 1924 Coranderrk closed. All but nine of the residents moved to the Lake Tyers Church of England Mission Station; the others refused to move. The remaining land went to the World War II soldier settlements in Few Aboriginal people were allocated land under this scheme. Although the Victorian Government closed Coranderrk Aboriginal reserve in 1924 to provide land for returned servicemen, the area was considered very significant by all those Aboriginal people who had been relocated there. Their daily life had been almost totally controlled by the managers who aimed to civilise Koori people and suppress their culture, and to make the mission self-supporting. Every able-bodied man was expected to develop the habits of industry by learning building, farming and livestock management. The women were taught domestic duties which they were expected to apply to the homes. The manager s wife would inspect the homes daily. If she considered it below standard, rations would be reduced or cut altogether. With poor sanitation, lack of water and no electricity, a high standard was difficult to achieve. The children were made to attend school to learn the 3Rs. The boys often helped out with farm work and the girls with the domestic work of the manager and his family. The residents had to attend church, sometimes daily seen as an important part of civilising them. Children were commonly separated from their parents to live in dormitories attached to the manager s home or the schoolhouse. The manager undertook discipline, even when opposed by the parents. Being forced off the Reserve divided families and communities and the move towards assimilation merging Koori individuals, families and identity into the broader Australian society further weakened them during this period. With the closing of Coranderrk and the effects of the Great Depression of the 1930s, many Wurundjeri gravitated to the city. 20

21 Worksheet 2 (cont) Activities 1. Why was Batman s Treaty with the Wurundjeri not recognised by the government at the time? 2. The role of the Protectorate for Aborigines and the Native Police was to safeguard the Aboriginal peoples in Australia against the negative impact of European settlement. Were they successful? 3. Watch the video Women of the Sun Part 3 (Nerida Anderson). It describes the condition of Aboriginal people on missions like Coranderrk. Using the above notes and the video, write a report describing living conditions on the mission and the impact mission life had on Aboriginal people s lives. You should focus on: Housing conditions Relations with Europeans and the Welfare Board Aboriginal protest. 21

22 Social Justice and Human Rights Issues Worksheet 3 Life in the city to the 1950s This Worksheet has been adapted from Snapshots of Aboriginal Fitzroy ( City of Yarra 2002). It can be viewed at < Affairs/pdf/ snap.pdf/> During the mid-1930s the Aboriginal community of Melbourne consisted of about 10 or 12 families living in Fitzroy, with one or two families living in Richmond and North Melbourne: about 100 people altogether. It was the Great Depression and times were pretty bad. Returned Aboriginal servicemen who had fought for their country in the First World War were denied equality on their return to Australia. This prompted many to leave the country areas where, because of racial tensions, they often lived as fringe dwellers. Those with lighter skin were refused access to the missions. As many men enlisted in the armed forces, their wives and families lived in the cities to be with them. Melbourne was becoming the centre of the increasing fight for Social Justice by Aboriginal people. A prominent figure in the early 1940s was Pastor Sir Doug Nicholls, whose church in the Fitzroy and Collingwood area is remembered as the place where the contemporary or modern Aboriginal movement all started. Nicholls provided a focus for the community and the various pubs in and around Fitzroy and Collingwood were also an important focus for community meetings. Pastor Doug went on to argue for citizenship rights, representation in Parliament and assistance for Aboriginal communities. Wurundjeri housing conditions Much of the accommodation in Fitzroy in the period from the 1940s onwards comprised rooming houses, Fitzroy boarding houses and shared housing in Fitzroy, Collingwood and Carlton. A report in 1950, The Dark People of Melbourne, sought to examine the difficulties that Aboriginal people encountered in Melbourne, and detailed the extent of overcrowding. 22

23 Worksheet 3 (cont) The homeless (the parkies ) and the gardens and lanes of Fitzroy For many Aboriginal people who had no permanent residence, the gardens and the area around the Moreton Bay fig trees were also a temporary residence. The parkies in Fitzroy also frequented numerous small lanes and alleys. The parkies community was integral to maintaining community links and, even more importantly, confirming the history of those people who were often ignored or rejected by mainstream society. The shared body of knowledge of the old fellas, as Archie Roach called them, was important for confirming identity and belonging. Consistent with the maintenance of the Koori identity was the renaming of all of the sites around Fitzroy by the parkies. The lanes and alleys were all given different names from those on the street signs. William Cooper, reserves and Aboriginal organisations William Cooper was forced by the Depression to move to Melbourne from Cummeragunja Aboriginal Mission in He developed he Australian Aborigines League which, along with its counterpart in New South Wales, the Aborigine Progressive Association, was instrumental in pushing the issue of Aboriginal welfare to the forefront of public attention in the southern states. Although he was nearly seventy, Cooper took on the role of organising the fight for Aboriginal rights. The Melbourne Aboriginal people who were drawn to the side of William Cooper included many other former Cummeragunja residents, including Margaret Tucker, Shadrach James and Pastor Sir Doug Nicholls. The major initiatives of the Australian Aborigines League during its early days included the petitioning of King George V to allow for the inclusion of an Aboriginal representative in the Australian Federal Parliament and the centralisation of existing state administration of Aboriginal affairs under the Federal Department of Native Affairs. The most significant event, however, was the organisation of the National Day of Mourning to coincide with the 1938 celebrations of the sesquicentenary of the arrival of the First Fleet on 26 January A joint statement was prepared by the Australian Aborigines League and the Aborigines Progressive Association which, in part, declared that: The 26th of January 1938 is not a day of rejoicing for Australia s Aborigines; it is a day of mourning. The festival of 150 years of so-called progress in Australia commemorates also 150 years of misery and degradation imposed upon the original inhabitants by the white invaders of this country. 23

24 Worksheet 3 (cont) Activity Research the internet for Snapshots of Aboriginal Fitzroy. Read about the lives of Aboriginal people in the History section of this wonderful document. This is a collection of oral accounts tracing the living conditions of Wurundjeri people living in the suburbs of Fitzroy and Collingwood their original homeland during the period from the 1930s to the early 1980s. Use these notes and the summary above to outline the housing and environmental conditions of the Wurundjeri people during this period. Ensure that you make brief notes under the following headings: Where Wurundjeri people lived in the city Types of housing Overcrowding The sense of community Doug Nicholls, William Cooper and the Fight for Social Justice. 24

25 Social Justice and Human Rights Issues Worksheet 4 Community profile high rise public housing, City of Yarra Source: The health and welfare of Australia s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples 2005 (Australian Bureau of Statistics & Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2005) This source contains detailed information on the effect of housing on the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders throughout Australia, in the context of the impact of colonisation and subsequent events on Indigenous housing. A timeline for Aboriginal Fitzroy 1886 The Aborigines Protection Act is introduced, which allows the Board for the Protection of Aborigines (BPA) to prescribe the place of residence of any full blood Aboriginal person. This is the beginning of the policy of assimilation that was to be practised by BPA in Victoria until The Fitzroy Aboriginal community complained about the comments made by Fitzroy Councillors about their behaviour. The local police commented: These Aborigines give us very little trouble although there are about 100 of them in the district we rarely have to arrest any of them Pastor Sir Doug Nicholls established the Gore Street Fitzroy Church of Christ Aboriginal Mission The first Aboriginal girls hostel is opened in Cunningham Street, Northcote, by the Chairman of the Aborigines Welfare Board A Conscience Calling Ball is held at the Northcote Town Hall to raise money for the appeal being conducted by the Aborigines Advancement League to raise funds for the construction of another Aboriginal youth hostel Pastor Sir Doug Nicholls presents a petition to the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs calling for a better deal for Aboriginal people First State Aboriginal Housing meeting held in Collingwood, which results in the establishment of a steering committee Inaugural meeting of the Aboriginal Housing Board in Melbourne. It establishes its office at 108 Smith Street, Collingwood. 25

26 Worksheet 4 (cont) 1982 In protest at the closure of the Aboriginal Community Youth Support Scheme, the Aboriginal community occupied the offices of the Department of Employment and Youth Affairs. South Eastern Land Council supports the claim of descendants of the Gunai, Werrungery and Bunurong tribes to 27 acres of Clifton Hill. First Annual General Meeting of the Aboriginal Housing Board is held in Northcote and the first annual report is circulated. The State Government approves a submission by the Aboriginal Housing Board for the creation of the position of Aboriginal Housing Liaison Officers The first State Aboriginal Housing Conference is held at Camp Jungai Aboriginal Housing Board transfers to new premises in Gertrude Street, Fitzroy Community protests follow evictions. The Aboriginal Housing Board holds its second Statewide Housing Conference in Mildura Funding for the Koori Kollij is cut Aboriginal Housing Board transfers to its new office at Scotchmer Street, North Fitzroy Aboriginal Housing Board celebrates its 1000th property purchase in Shepparton. Aboriginal Housing Board appoints its first Chief Executive Officer Aboriginal Housing Board 20th anniversary. Activities 1. One impact of colonisation was the dispersal and relocation of the Wurundjeri people from their homelands to the area of suburban Melbourne now known as Collingwood and Fitzroy. Why and how did this happen? 2. From an analysis of the above timeline and source, what are the disproportionate levels of social disadvantage that the Wurundjeri people face as a result of colonisation and subsequent events? Consider in particular: separation from their homeland overcrowding homelessness. 26

27 Social Justice and Human Rights Issues Worksheet 5 Statistics and information Source A: Australian Bureau of Statistics Australian Social Trends Report 2000 (go to then type social trends 2000 in search box.) Source A provides information on population characteristics and social conditions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in general, with emphasis on the Wurundjeri people of Victoria. To analyse and make inferences from the data in the ABS report regarding the topic of Housing, look particularly for relevant information under the headings: population education employment income living arrangements crime health. Source B: Data from the 1999 Australian Bureau of Statistics Australian Housing Survey 1999 (go to then type housing survey 1999 in search box.) In 1999, nearly 60% of Indigenous households were renting their homes, compared with 27% of non-indigenous households. (ABS Australian Housing Survey 1999) In particular, look for data relevant to Indigenous people: housing stock: housing in non-remote areas housing history other household information, including: location composition utilisation condition occupancy costs. 27

28 Worksheet 5 (cont) Source C: Assessment of the service needs of low-income families: Collingwood and Fitzroy Housing Estates. A project for Jesuit Social Services (Catherine Guinness, 2000) (go to Search the Community Profile high rise public housing, and note in particular the table Public housing tenants in Yarra, 1996 key statistics which contains important data on Indigenous tenancy rates in Collingwood and Fitzroy. Also research other detailed information from this source on: household composition income crime and safety issues in high rise accommodation, including: drug and alcohol abuse issues police and community relations education aspects of life for tenants on the estates, such as: social interaction physical environment provision and use of playgrounds education questions, such as: low school enrolments from the estates strategies to deal with this, such as after-school study programs, alternative schooling approaches etc health issues related to all of the above. 28

29 Worksheet 5 (cont) Activities General Gather information about the levels of Indigenous disadvantage across Australia, in Victoria and in the Yarra (Collingwood and Fitzroy) local areas, emphasising housing and associated problems. Other sources of up-to-date statistics include: Australian Bureau of Statistics Victoria Health Yarra City Council Activity 1 based on Source A: General disadvantage of Indigenous Australians Compare the status of Indigenous and non-indigenous people, using column graphs or other graphical format, for the following indicators: population (as proportion of total population, where they live, age structure) education (post-compulsory participation and qualification rates) employment (types of employment, employment/unemployment rates, CDEP work) living arrangements/housing (number of people per household, per capita income, shared housing, home ownership). Make detailed comments on this social indicator crime (prison rate vs age, age and duration of imprisonment, types of crime, role of violence) health (birth weights, perinatal deaths, life expectancy, alcohol-related disease, other disease, eg diabetes, heart disease, other) Activity 2 based on Source B: Relative disadvantages within Indigenous housing Summarise the information in Source B as Indigenous vs non-indigenous Australians, using tables and/or graphical presentation. Note that Source B relates to residents in non-remote areas, including regional towns and cities. The summary should include: the number of Indigenous households renting compared with non-indigenous proportion (eg percentage) of Indigenous people living in non-remote areas for urban, major urban and rural areas household composition for couples with children, single-parent families, living alone, group average number of people usually resident per house proportion (eg percentage) of dwellings needing more bedrooms number of dwellings needing repair housing costs per week price of housing payments for buyers as a proportion of weekly income price of housing payments for renters as a proportion of weekly income housing history/duration of occupancy. 29