BADJALING REMEMBERS

Community and family are important for us…it is about reconnecting and healing. This book is put together by  Elders of the Badjaling Nyungar Community. We involved Noongars and Wadjelas, community members, people with disability and we thank all those who supported us. Involving community and pulling this book together, is possible from an ILC grant from Department of Communities. It is part of our ongoing work of building inclusive activities for local people with disability here in the Wheatbelt. Special thanks to Community Vision for their invaluable support and the State Library of Western Australia for the images of our family members, sourced from their collections and with the permission of the Library Board of Western Australia.

– Murray Yarran  (Elder and Traditional Owner)

LIONEL YARRAN “GRANNY LINEY”

Lionel arrived in Badjaling in the 1930s. From the beginning, the Yarrans were important to the life of the community here, alongside other prominent families such as the Winmars, Picketts, Kicketts, Garletts, Meads, Hansens and many others. The ancestral home of all Yarrans in Australia, is what is now called Mount Stirling, just a short drive from Yoting.

Granny Liney was a pillar of the local community, large in stature and generous in spirit. He was widely respected throughout the Wheatbelt. He worked tirelessly building community and supporting others.

BOUGH SHED SCHOOL

In 1930, two Irish missionaries, Miss Mary Belshaw and Miss May McRidge set up a school in a paddock on Dedaring Farm near Quairading WA. The school was a start for the United Aborigines Mission in Badjaling. Before 1948, Aboriginal children were not allowed to go to State Schools. A bough shed was erected by local men because the missionaries were struggling with the harshness of local conditions. The school building was made of flattened petrol drums and wheat sacks sewn together, large jam tins and kerosene boxes were used for desks and chairs.

A NEW SCHOOL

A better school was built a couple of years later. This one was more solid and made so it could also be used as a church.

WEDDINGS

Weddings are happy occasions. We had plenty of them over the years. It’s easier these days. The Aborigines Act 1905 (WA) was written to protect, control and segregate us. It invaded every aspect of our lives. The Chief Protector had wide-reaching powers. He could grant or deny permission for Aboriginal women to marry who they wanted. When Pearl Harris was married she got into trouble for not getting permission first! Badjaling women took a stand in the face of injustice.

FINANCIAL HARDSHIP

At times things were really tough here. Our hospital was not able to treat serious and life threatening illnesses so the long trip into Perth by cart needed to be taken. The cost of hospitalisation for families was often beyond our means. Families were sometimes asked to pay back more than we could ever earn. This could mean real hardship for all the members of the family.

BUSH BABIES

Badjaling throughout the years has been a place for community, for families. Many elders are ‘bush babies’, born on country. Badjaling Mission had a basic hospital erected in the early 1930s but this was not widely used for maternity. At this time Aboriginal people were not permitted to live in towns or cities, and definitely not permitted to give birth in a hospital. Instead, bush babies were born in reserves, missions and on the outskirts of town in tents, makeshift shelters and under the stars. Lots of children were born here, and growing up with so many friends and family is remembered fondly, even though the conditions, by today’s standards, were tough and basic.

STRONG WITH WOMEN

Badjaling women are proud and powerful. Their hard work and example kept families together, brought food to the tables, passion for community. These traits continue today. Times were tough and resources were scarce. Raising children without today’s health and social supports was hard. The following pages are a tribute to our families, to the women in our families, that gave us life and a legacy that lives on. The community today is working to support others in the Shire, sharing knowledge and culture and building opportunities.

STRONG WITH SPORT

With so many children to play with, the opportunity was always there for running around and getting involved in sports and activities. One of the best known local boys is John McGuire who was an elite sportsman, both a champion cricketer and footballer. The Wheatbelt and the communities in and around Badjaling have produced a long list of household sporting legends. Australian Rules Football in particular has been enriched through the participation of our families…such as the Kicketts, Picketts, Yarrans, Winmars, Garletts, Jettas, Bennells, Haydens and Franklins!

The 1988 Ashes Tour was a re-enactment of the first ever Australia/England Test Match. Our first team to tour England were Aboriginal players. Captain of the re-enactment team seated front row far right was John McGuire, local Ballardong man and arguably Australia’s best ever Aboriginal cricketer. John is in elite company having scored more than 10000 first class runs. John is the only local player with such pedigree not to ever play for Western Australia. Infamously, weight of runs meant John had to be invited to State squad selection held over a weekend. On the Saturday he batted and was in the 90s when asked to retire. He was not invited back on the Sunday. Many believe John was prejudiced against because he was Aboriginal.

COMMUNITY LIFE

BADJALING RAIL SIDING

Badjaling rail siding witnessed the comings and goings in the community. Facilities were built here and many of the men and women worked on local farms. The area was famous for wheat and sheep farming. This time was tumultous. The world was going through the Great Depression and soon followed World War II. Aboriginal people were not allowed into town and our children could not attend the state schools. However in time, there was change and our families began owning and working their own properties.

Many of our mob are ‘Stolen Generation’ separated from family. The famous “Rabbit Proof Fence” runs very close to Badjaling. It has special meaning for us, because we used it to find home.
Our elders are dying, I don’t know everyone’s name, so for all the places that each family camped, we put up signage…and for things that happened, things people remember…we are going to get our pictures together and write our story.”

– Murray Yarran (Elder and Traditional Owner)

BATTLE FOR EDUCATION RIGHTS

Before 1948 Aboriginal children were not allowed to attend State schools. Aboriginal people were not allowed into town. Local Aboriginal farmer John Kickett fought a decade long battle to see his children educated at the local Quairading school. With his family members fighting and dying for King and country, John Kickett asked for justice and a fair go for his daughters. Despite a petition from local school families supporting the girls and John’s request, their pleas were unanswered! The battle to end segregated education was not yet won.

FARMING

Badjaling men have a fine tradition when it comes to farming, often wheat and sheep farming. In the early part of the 20th Century, Badjaling was a huge producer of Australian sheep, fattened up and transported by rail to the Eastern States or shipped from Robbs Jetty to overseas markets.

BADJALING TODAY

THE BADJALING STORY BOOK

The Badjaling Storybook was created in December 2008 with our support as part of a Cultural Heritage Survey conducted by the then Department of Indigenous Affairs and the Wheatbelt NRM (Natural Resource Management). This online publication should be read in conjunction with this book to give a fuller picture of Badjaling, the flora, the fauna and how we have built our lives here on country.

The following elders, all Ballardong Native Title Claimants (BWAC) were especially important in putting the story book together. Sadly, some of us have passed away since that time, and we wish to honour their memory and their work.

Mrs Winnie McHenry
Mrs Marilyn Reidy
Mrs Myrtle Yarran
Mrs Muriel Collard
Mr Basil Winmar
Mr Fred Pickett
Mr Murray Yarran

OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL

The Balladong Community is creating opportunities for people with disability to learn about Noongar ways, healing and history. The community wishes to showcase our proud history as part of other inclusive opportunities we are developing for people with disability in the Wheatbelt. We are using the knowledge from the past to connect to opportunities for the future. Our elders have shown us the way and we wish to honour them.

OUR IMAGES

Community Vision are working with us to collect our images and history and provide inclusive services for people with disability in our community. This exhibition catalogue was put together by Murray Yarran and Ian Thompson from Community Vision.

BRINGING THE MOB TOGETHER

This community work is healing work, bringing the mob together. With the support of the Department of Communities Disability Services ILC Grant we are building inclusive activities for the local area in culturally appropriate ways. Cultural history will form an important part of other activities we are re-shaping to meet today’s COVID-19 challenges. We intend to provide these opportunities in an ongoing way.