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Hitch in Govt. plans
for Ooldea natives
A serious hitch has occurred in SA Government plans to move 400 natives
From their desert camp at Ooldea to a new home, Yalata sheep station near
Fowler's Bay.
Leaders of the Lutheran
Church, which runs Koo
nibba Mission, near
Ceduna, believe it would
not be in the best interests
of the natives to have a
mission at Yalata run by
another church body.
They have made strong
representations to the
Aborigines Board and the
Local Government Minis
ter (Mr. Mclntosh). Both
have been trying to find a
solution.
The Ooldea natives are
under the care of the
United Aborigines Mis
sion, an undenominational
body who opened at
Ooldea 18 years ago.
Ooldea is on the East
West railway, about 400
miles from Port Augusta.
Lutheran Churcn presi
dent (Dr. C. E. Hoop
mann) said today, 'Koo-
nibba and Yalata are
within easy walking dis
tance for natives.
'As soon as they began
to mix they would notice
many differences in the
teachings of the two mis
sions.
'They would become
confused, and like chil
dren, they would lose
faith. Years of Christian
work would be lost.
'Koonibba Mission, es
tablished 50 years ago,
looks after about 600
natives.
'Koonibba natives are
taught the baptism of in
fants. Ooldea natives are
not.
'Ooldea natives are
taught it is wrong to
smoke. But Koonibba
natives are allowed to.
'We would be prepared
to take over the care and
teaching of Ooldea natives
if they moved to Yalata.
but we don't know if that
would be acceptable to the
United Aborigines Mis
sion.'
UAM general secretary
(Pastor L. J. Samuels)
said the mission at Ooldea
was ready to move as soon
as the Aborigines Depart
ment gave permission.
The Ooldea natives
there had been in a bad
plight for years, he said.
Only drift sand
The country was so deso
late there was nothing
but drift sand.
The mission included a
dormitory of about 50 in
fants and a school of about
60 children.
Yalata would be a big
improvement as a site, but
was not the best that
might be got in SA, be
cause white men hung on
to good properties and
only tossed to the natives
what they could not use
themselves.
Mr. Samuels added,
?'The whole matter is in
the hands of the Abori
gines Department.
'We are leaving it to
them because we know ?
they have the welfare of '
the natives at heart.' ? -
An Aborigines Depart- «
ment spokesman said to- ,
day the matter was still «
under consideration. t
Solution soon
He said the department I
hoped to have a solution *
soon. f
The SA Government
cleared the way for Yalata *
Station as a site for the f
natives when it bought *
the whole of the shares in *
Yalata Pty. Ltd. \
Negotiations, which [
began early last year, were V
concluded on June 29. i
The station comprises I
about a million acres. The ??
southern boundary runs I
close to the sea. r
The property has two t
large homesteads, and t'
carries about 15,000 sheep k
in good seasons.
The Premier (Mr. Play
ford) played a leading
part In the Government's
acquisition of Yalata Sta
tion for the natives.
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