Why this focus?

Nothing balances the massacre and betrayed trust, but it's time for decency

Ninety-six percent — 29 out of every 30 Victorians — annihilated in a single generation! If it happened now, we would call it the worst kind of disaster! And that is exactly what happened to the indigenous Victorians in the first 30 years of white settlement. In this most densely populated part of Australia, the 60,000 descendants of those who had kept this land for the previous 60,000 years were decimated, and in only one generation were reduced to just 2000 survivors.

In the midst of this catastrophe there rose up a leader, Simon Wonga (for whom Wonga Park is named). When, after many years of waiting, the government failed to grant land promised for his people, SImon led them to Coranderrk in 1863 and took possession of this land. A lay Presbyterian minister, John Green, joined Simon and his people at Coranderrk where the government, finally confirming the land grant, appointed him Manager. He was greatly loved by the Wurundjeri people and he had high regard for their abilities and honesty. The people built huts and worked the pasture, turning Coranderrk into a model working station.

By 1880, five years after Wonga's death and now led by the tireless diplomat William Barak, the hard-working people at Coranderrk had established a very successful hop plantation. The Central Board for the Protection of Aborigines promised that profit from hops would build a hospital. Instead, they took over control, brought in a white overseer and white workers, and paid only the whites. The hospital was never built, and the government took the entire profit.

Local landowners wanted to take over the successful station. There were parliamentary enquiries, petitions, and protests. In the end the government passed the Half Caste Act of 1886, removing those under 34 years of age with any white ancestry from the reserves. Gutted once again, the remnants of the community moved on. Part of the land became Healesville Sanctuary.

In 1998, the descendants of Barak's people bought back 65 hectares of the old Coranderrk land near Healesville, and established Worawa Aboriginal College, which currently offers courses only to Year 10. Education is fundamental to redressing the disadvantage and discrimination still experienced by Indigenous Victorians.

Our Mercy Ministry team is exploring what practical responses we, as disciples, are called to. Our first step is to work with Worawa and Luther College to see how we might help Indigenous students to complete their secondary schooling. Our recent Quiz Night raised around $3,000 towards a possible scholarship.

Please pray our Indigenous brothers and sisters, and for our project to support Indigenous secondary education.

from Ronda Held
adapted from her November 15 address