Narional Archives of Australia
Canberra Office
A6456 R136/007
Patrol Report, R Macaulay, 11 February 1960
23 March, 1960
The Commissioner of Native Welfare,
Department of Native Welfare,
Box R 1268, GPO,
Perth, WA
Dear Sir
January - February 1960 Patrol to Giles and the Central Reserves
Movements
1. I left Woomera 13th January, 1960, proceeding to Giles
via Leigh Creek, Marree, Oodnadatta, Granite Downs, Everard Park
and Ernabella Mission, arriving Giles 10th January. The route then
lay to 'Wankari in the Dean Ranges (21 January) and Kutjinderry
and Waraban (Mural Crescent area) (22 and 23 January) where it
was hoped to contact the tuberculosis suspect, Wanupay. It was then
necessary to proceed to Alice Springs via Curtin Springs and Angas
Downs to have two front springs fitted to the International. I left
Alice Springs 31 January proceeding via Curtin Springs to Ernabella,
then to Wingellina and Mt Davies (3 and 4 February) and to Waraban
Creek (5 February). I departed Giles 7 February, arriving Woomera
9 February via Ernabella.
Condition of Country Roads
2. Widespread rains had fallen throughout the whole area covered
by the patrol, and slippery road surfaces and washaways were a constant
menace. To generalise, two to five inches of rain fell throughout the
patrol area, and the Todd, Hugh, Finke, and Palmer Rivers flowed to a
depth of up to seven feet. The main north-south road is in good cond-
ition but there have been many washaways and much scouring on the road
between Ernabella and Wingellina.
3. The Reserves are in wonderful condition with grass up to one
foot high. The feed position around Ernabella, Kenmore Park, and
Everard Park is excellent, and Granite Downs has surface waters sufficient
for two years.
Rawlinson Natives
4. Ten natives near Giles moved east the day after I arrived.
Two Rawlinson young men who arrived at Giles from Warburton Mission also
moved east to join the main group at Waraban Creek, south of Kutjinderry.
The main group was about to split up and move further east when I left,
and I do not expect any natives (or very few) to be around Giles for
a month or two. The Rawlinson natives with one or two exceptions, are
overcoming gradually the tendency to congregate around Giles. I traded
forty six scalps at Ernabella and there is an abundance of emu, lizard,
rabbit, and kangaroo meat in the Mural Crescent - Petermann Range Area.
Giles
5. On arrival at Giles I found that the morale was low and
personnel were still on edge following the shock of Mr Collin's death.
The Station had been understaffed for several weeks and this was affecting
morale also. New personnel began arriving while I was at Giles and the
morale boosted considerably. Over the period January to March there
will be nearly a seventy per cent change of personnel at Giles. Mr
C Rogan will be the new O.I/C. It is noted that he has been posted
to Giles for three months only.
Wanupay
6. I brought Wanupay to Giles from Waraban. She came willingly
and appeared in good spirits so I did not take measures to prevent her
running off.However she did decide to remain in her country to die and
she ran off the night before we were to leave for Alice Springs. Wanupay
will have returned to the group by the time Mr MacDougall reaches Giles
and she should not be difficult to locate as the natives themselves
realise that she must go to hospital. Kam:i, the child with the burnt
leg, was flown to Giles at Christmas.
7. It may be possible during the winter of this year to arrange
for Mr MacDougall and me to round up all the Rawlinson natives for a
thorough medical check by Woomera medical authorities at Giles.
Wingellina
8. The contact position at Wingellina Mining camp was not good,
and the natives complained that they were under paid for work done. They
also claimed that Tony Sullivan, the Contractor at Wingellina, had
supplied a pannikin of alcohol to a native and had then attempted to
rape the native's wife. Mr R Sprigg, Managing Director of Geosurveys
informed me that Sullivan had been dismissed by him for general lawlessness
in Adelaide and for poor work at Wingellina. The last three Contractors
have all failed dismally. Callaghan was dismissed for continual drunk-
enness, Arica for offences against native women and for other misdeeds
(letter on file from Mr J Johnson refers) and Sullivan for actions
mentioned above.
9. Mr Sprigg is of the opinion that in a few months time only a
caretaker staff of one or two men will be required at Wingellina. He
will go to greater lengths to obtain suitable personnel, and in attempting
to further minimise the chances of employing the wrong type, he has asked
the South Australian Aborigines Department to interview prospective pers-
onnel for Wingellina. The normal system of supplying two character ref-
erences before obtaining a Reserve permit does not appear to be working out
very well.
10. I interviewed the Wingellina natives about Arica's alleged offences
and they denied all knowledge of them. This I would interpret as indicating
that there is some substance to the allegations.
11. On 7th February, 1960, the white personnel at Wingellina were
Geoff Rowley, Jack Scribble, Len Terry, Eric Paunola, Bruno Beyer, and
Hermann Radolovich. The only natives at Wingellina were Jimmy and Mike
and their families and two young men. Three other families, including
Bruce and Mary, were at Mt Davies en route to Ernabella.
Yours faithfully
R Macaulay
Native Patrol Officer
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