Series 2: 'Native Testaments of old natives'
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The Barr Smith Library recognises the moral rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the owners of their knowledge. To this end, Special Collections is digitising the Daisy Bates Papers in our collections to enhance access for people who cannot travel to Adelaide. Please be aware that this site may contain sensitive information, including the names and images of people who have passed away and which may sadden and distress some Aboriginal people. This site may also contain language and terms used by an author that reflect an inappropriate attitude due to the historical context in which these records were created.
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Item Restricted Series 2, 14 - Genburdong - early notes and pedigree. Typescript. 5p. + 2nd copy of early notes(2015-02-26) Bates, DaisyGenburdong’s pedigree from Kellerberrin area, his son Kwont hunted and killed by magic. Others of the Bibbulmun groups had been abducted and circumcised and forced to join other groups. Demarcation between circumcised and non-circumcised is east of Meckering and Kellerberrin, between Southern Cross people and Southwestern divisions. Adoption and amalgamation of the various class divisions throughout the south and southwest.Item Restricted Series 2, 13 - Woolber. Typescript. 1p.(2015-02-26) Bates, DaisyBrief notes about Woolber, a male informant and Nagarnook from the Gingin district.Item Restricted Series 2, 12 - Woolber and Banyap, Gingin beliefs. Typescript.(2015-02-26) Bates, DaisyWoolber and Banyap - the story of their ‘wrong’ marriage and Gingin people’s beliefs about the spirit world of the dead beyond the sea, where they all meet again in the afterlife.Item Restricted Series 2, 11 - Joobytch. Typescript. 2p. + 2nd copy of p. 1 (torn(2015-02-26) Bates, DaisyA shorter account of Joobytch (aka Joobaitch), a Ballarruk from the land between the Canning and the Swan Rivers and the circumstances surrounding his death in the Cannington district.Item Restricted Series 2, 10 - Jubaitch. Typescript. 6p. + typescript draft, with ms. corrections.(2015-02-26) Bates, DaisyAccount of the British takeover of Western Australia by handshake with Yalgunga, who was sitting by the Swan River. Jubaitch’s family were thereby dispossessed of water and land. The whites were believed to be the spirits of their own ancestors so there was no conflict between them after the “invasion”. Jubaitch grew up among them, keeping to his laws but also becoming familiar with the European ways. They made him a sort of police official, to track and catch convicts and as a go-between for the other natives. He settled on Maamba Native Reserve with some others and later D.M.B. camped there in the early 1900s for some time and wrote down his memories of many old stories of totems and spirits. Jubaitch, the last of his tribal group, died on a portion of his own country and was buried in Guildford in 1907.Item Restricted Series 2, 9 - Histories of southern and southwestern groups. ms(2015-02-26) Bates, Daisy"Histories of Southern and South Western Groups" gives a further description of Flinders' visit in the Investigator in 1801-2 and the Bibbulmun belief in the return of white spirit ancestors from beyond the Western Sea.Item Restricted Series 2, 8 - My natives. ms.(2015-02-26) Bates, DaisyMy natives – a further version of Nebinyan’s story of Flinders’ visit to King George Sound in 1801 to careen his ship Investigator and the natives’ reaction to troop exercises on shore, namely, the creation of a dance which was communicated to others throughout the country over a period of about 25 years.Item Restricted Series 2, 7 - Nebinyan. Pencilled ms. draft (A); ms. draft (B); ms. draft (C); newspaper clipping n.d.; ms. draft (D); ms. draft (E); ms. draft (F); ms. draft (G)).(2015-02-26) Bates, DaisyThese 7 MS drafts (A-G) describe Nebinyan’s memories in old age of what he was told as a child about the visit of Flinders in 1801 and the dance imitating Flinders’ troops that he was taught as a young man. His people believed they were ghost ancestors visiting them from over the Western Sea. DMB also briefly notes the background and beliefs of the Bibbulmun people. Newspaper clipping " Race and Colour prejudice" by Bertram R. Wyllie, no date.Item Restricted Series 2, 6 - Songs of the last Wanji-Wanji - Eucla. ms. and dances ms.(2015-02-26) Bates, DaisySongs and dances of the last Wanji-wanji – Eucla. Songs-the only songs of the last Wanji wanji (Wanna wa) [ceremony] performed in the Eucla (native name Yirrgili) Wanji wanji which finished in that area having been bartered from the northern pearl shell area (Darwin area perhaps 20 years earlier). Wanna wa (or Wanj wanji) whose last performance I saw in the Eucla area in 1913-14. Dances-an old All coastal [illeg.] Travelling Play beginning at (perhaps) Albany area (groups with plenty strong healthy healthy women [illeg.] and making its way [diagram follows – a rough trade map of much of Australia, where the ceremonies moved around and goods were exchanged.]Item Restricted Series 2, 5 - Ngilgi's song. ms. notes and typescript(2015-02-26) Bates, DaisyNgilgi’s song - Jeerimba Song. A song of the strong wind and the clouds battling, as well as Ngilgee’s information about native names of Busselton area.Item Restricted Series 2, 4 - The Adventures of Ngilgian. Typescript draft with ms. corrections (published in Australia, 1923)(2015-02-26) Bates, DaisyThe Adventures of Ngilgian- another version of Ngilgi’s story pub.1923 (including a page of manuscript) In every group, north, south, east, west, the women were always an asset at group gatherings being negotiated temporarily with the visiting groups who paid in bartered goods. The Bibbulmun groups were probably so called because they always had “many women” in the group. Ordinarily, every woman had to take her stick (digging) when hunting with her own sex and if she were seen without it by any man, that man could use her, without having to barter with her man. A certain Kinning (corroboree) called Wanna wa had gone round the coast once every 25 years. It took 25 years to do the full oval round of Australia and returning to its starting point. I heard of the name and the traveling [?] dance from some old native women and men among the Bibbulmun. They called it the Wanna wa (women’s stick “where”, “gone away” etc. and at Eucla in 1913 it arrived while I was camped there via Boundary Dam area, W.A. It ended there especially as it requires a big mob, especially of men. One very old man, in Eucla at the time, has seen it as a young man in the Musgrave and Everard Range area!! He suddenly remembered some of the various ‘acts’ performed.Item Restricted Series 2, 3 - Ngilgee. Typescript draft with ms. corrections (published in The Western Mail, Feb. 8, 1908)(2015-02-26) Bates, DaisyBorn on the Bussell Rectory’s potato patch, Ngilgi grew up between the 2 worlds of white and black. She had various suitors, 32 dogs and other animals. She worked sporadically for the white settlers but also carried out some of her tribal obligations. Her relationship with a half-caste man prompts DMB to write about the frequency of “wrong” or incestuous marriages as being a prime cause of the Aboriginal race’s dying out.Item Restricted Series 2, 2 - Ngilgi. An aboriginal woman's life story (published in the West Australian, 23/3/1935)(2015-02-26) Bates, DaisyBorn on the Bussell Rectory’s potato patch, Ngilgi grew up between the 2 worlds of white and black. She had various suitors, 32 dogs and other animals. She worked sporadically for the white settlers but also carried out some of her tribal obligations. Her relationship with a half-caste man prompts DMB to write about the frequency of “wrong” or incestuous marriages as being a prime cause of the Aboriginal race’s dying out.Item Restricted Series 2, 1 - Bibbulmum. The story of the Bibbulmum races and the tragic story of natives. Two typescript drafts, with a few ms. amendments.(2015-02-26) Bates, DaisyThe story of the Bibbulmun races and the tragic story of Natives plus a Bibbulmun scrap manuscript, transcribed in separate PDF.Item Restricted Series 2, 15 - Jaal - last native of tribes belonging to Wiluna(2014-11-10) Bates, DaisyNotes about Jaal, last native of tribe belonging to Wiluna (goldfields) requesting Daisy Bates to mediate with government officials. He asked that prospectors avoid sacred areas where white and black flints were found and used for trade. Later the Wiluna Goldmine Company was formed and Jaal died.