# data[].attributes.body
"She give girl. Mitjer Neal says she gotta come back." 
"You bad boy, Tjenna Guppi gunna git you!"

# data[].attributes.body
These quotes show that in
These quotes show that in his desperation to please his White superiors, Billy becomes willing to utilise violence against other Aboriginals, and even members of his own tribe. He works as a foil to Joe and Mary's plan to run away together and gets into a violent struggle with Joe. He later lies to Neal about Joes actions towards him to make Joe out as a proper criminal. This, combined with his short fuse and willingness to resort to violence upon the Aboriginals and their children suggest that despite being a victim of white society's actions, Billy himself has become an opressor himself. He is seen as a traitor in the eyes of his Aboriginal Kin, as seen by the children's reference to him as a "Black Crow"

“Wahrdung, wahrdung, black crow!” 
The children call Billy a ‘black crow’ to signify his betrayal of his people and his race in order to live a comfortable life, relative to the treatment of the other Aboriginals, with the whites. Billy is still treated as subhuman and is given no respect and although he would rather sacrifice his people and culture when faced with the alternative, which is to suffer under inhumane conditions at the hands of the likes of Neal and Neville. 
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Billy
Billy
"Gudeeah bin kill 'em. Finish, kill 'em. Big mob, 1926, kill em big mob my country" 

Billy is an Aboriginal Tracker who turned to working for the White Australians in an attempt to survive the changes they have imposed in the world around him. Whilst keeping in touch with his Aboriginal culture through moments such as the dancing scene and quotes such as: "That your country. You sit back down that place" and " No, no, no. You song man, you fella dance men. This still your country.", he struggles to embrace that side of him, as he is desperate to fit into white society and please the people in power. This leads him to be incredibly subservient to his white superiors, catering to their every whim and taking both verbal and physical abuse without retaliation.

"She give girl. Mitjer Neal says she gotta come back." 
"You bad boy, Tjenna Guppi gunna git you!"

These quotes show that in his desperation to please his White superiors, Billy becomes willing to utilise violence against other Aboriginals, and even members of his own tribe. He works as a foil to Joe and Mary's plan to run away together and gets into a violent struggle with Joe. He later lies to Neal about Joes actions towards him to make Joe out as a proper criminal. This, combined with his short fuse and willingness to resort to violence upon the Aboriginals and their children suggest that despite being a victim of white society's actions, Billy himself has become an opressor himself. He is seen as a traitor in the eyes of his Aboriginal Kin, as seen by the children's reference to him as a "Black Crow"

“Wahrdung, wahrdung, black crow!” 
The children call Billy a ‘black crow’ to signify his betrayal of his people and his race in order to live a comfortable life, relative to the treatment of the other Aboriginals, with the whites. Billy is still treated as subhuman and is given no respect and although he would rather sacrifice his people and culture when faced with the alternative, which is to suffer under inhumane conditions at the hands of the likes of Neal and Neville. 




Gran
Gran
"You ain't the boss...chergeant!" 

"Now cover you in ashes. More better than Johnson's Baby Powder, eh?" - Depicts the idea that Aboriginals still value tradition despite being overwhelming artificiality of white Western culture.

"Scabies we ain't go it" - assuming uncleanliness 

The sergeant tries to appease her with a stick of gnummari (tobacco). However, Gran is able to stand her ground for what she believes in if she deems it necessary. For example, when she refused to leave without her dog - "She tears her hair and throws plates and mugs about."

"You wanna watch them manatj, they warrah there now". Shows the continuation of Aboringial oppression, that even after time has past Aboriginals have seen little improvement in their qualitity of life and treatment from the Whites. Their struggle remains a day to day obstacle.

Gran is a very wise character. When Joe and Mary leave with their baby, she sings a song which talks about how she hopes they will one day escape the white supremacy ideology, albeit unlikely.

MILLY
MILLY
"What am I gonna wash with? How can I keep my kids clean and sen' 'em to school" 
 > enforces the stereotype that Aborigines don't have a sense of personal hygiene
"Don't you go wrappin' him up in the gubment blanket. You put him in a proper box"
 > demonstrates the abandonment of Aboriginal culture and traditions of burials (Western vs Aboriginal traditions of death)

INJUSTICE

“What for? We ain’t done nothing.” 
insight into forced removal of indigenous Australians & treatment. The law enforcement officers in this play treated the Millimuras like criminals, dragging them out of their houses and to ‘quarantine camps’  


“Cockies want ‘em to work for nothing” 
‘white’ australians were sometimes referred to as cockatoos, based on the similarities of physical appearances.  
phrase essentially presents the enslavement of aboriginals. The indigenous Australians of the 1920’s/30’s worked in poor conditions for little, (but most likely no) wage in return.  

CONDITIONS

“Dawarra, nitja wetjala” 
“be quiet, there is a white person”. Presents suspicion of the Millimura family towards white Australians . They change their behaviour because they do not trust the aboriginals  


IMPACT ON CULTURE

“Here’s twopence, you can buy an apple each for lunch” 

Demonstrates cultural assimilation of Aboriginals to white culture. The use of currency suggests passivity of indigenous australians to the eradication of their culture, shows their concern with fitting in with the whites rather than preserving their own traditions 
In indigenous australian culture, everything is interlinked and shared between members. There is no concept of ownership or purchase-indigenous australians have had no need for currency to buy food, it was shared. 


Jimmy Munday
Jimmy Munday
OPPRESSION AND DISCRIMINATION 

Jimmy points out, at least they can walk down the street after sundown. (23) In contrast the aborigines suffer hardship and discrimination. Jimmy lists the restrictions: ‘they aren’t allowed to go down the soak, not allowed to march” and in the stage directions, “mimes handcuffs and goal” (23) to suggest that the slightest infractions will lead to incarceration

“This time your sentence is three months with hard labour” The aboriginals get harsher jail sentences in comparison to whites just because they are aboriginal, this depicting the ingrained discrimination of White society even in a place of supposed justice and law.

“Whole town knows why we're goin’. ‘Cos wetjalas in this town don't want us ‘ere, won't want our kids at the school, with their kids.” This is a clear example of the discrimination that the aborigines faced, they were considered second class citizens and savages that didn't belong in white culture and as a result are removed and isolated. 

INJUSTICE AND INEQUALITY

“More like three-course bloody pig swill. Treacle and bread or bread and fat, take your pick.”(51) - Gives the reader an insight as to how they were treated. Almost equivalent to prison food. 

“Nothin’ to do with bloody scabies. And that's why we got dragged ‘ere, so them wetjalas vote for him.’(93) - The whites used the scabies epidemic as a facade to demonstrate to the wider society that their intention is to protect the Aboriginals and be their saviour. In reality, they couldn't care less about their wellbeing and are using them to make themselves appear the superior race in order to receive votes for Jimmy Mitchell’s campaign.

“Not worth losin’ a bloody election over, that's all.” (45) It signifies that Aboriginal lives are worth less than votes in an election. 

“Fuck you, you white bastard, fuck you [singing feebly] ‘I don’t give damn for any damn man, that dont give a damn for me.” (Pg 28)- jimmy shows how the whites in power whose duty was to be above the law and protect those does not apply in the case of the aborigines. They were not looked after and the whites with authority abused their power and exercised complete control over the aborigines. 

THE IMPACT OF COLONIALISM
Jimmy states that the whites (wetjalas) “took our country” and therefore the Indigenous Australians are in a helpless position of dependence.

“So he could have a nice, white little town, a nice, white little fuckin’ town.”(94) The whites have come to conquer the aborigine land and displace the aborigines from their own homes, forcibly removing them. By segregating the whites and aborigines, the whites effectively create a society without the ‘natives.’ 

Jimmy crawls for his coat, then for the bottle (25) symbolising his growing dependence on white materials like alcohol. 

CULTURE AND IDENTITY 

Jimmy runs out breath, heaves and clutches his chest. Sam catches him as e collapse, clutching at the flagpole. The official party continues to sing, ‘God Save the King.’ Jimmy’s family rushes to him. (94) - Him clutching the British flag is an ironic symbol, as he is using something that oppresses his own culture and identity to save his life. 

“what, a dried up orange and puddin’?...Bread and drippin’ and black tea.” (93) Jimmy and the aborigines have become dependent on white culture and have lost their innate ability to use nature to satisfy their needs, instead they have become reliant on the whites being able to provide for them. They have distanced from their cultural backgrounds and identity. 

Frank Brown
Frank Brown
Sergeant: you've been seen hangin' about with natives
Frank: It's not against the law

Frank sympathises with the Aborigines and unlike most of the whites he willingly associates with them. During that time period the Aborigines were seen as less than the whites, with western culture being superior. As a result the Aborigines were considered to be below the whites and there was a distinctive separation between the two groups. By willingly "hangin' about" the Mundays and Millimurra family, he openly defies the expectations and beliefs that the rest of white society had.

Jimmy: He's our friend 

In scene three Jimmy refers to Frank as his friend, establishing that the two men already have a close relationship. Most of the whites would not even talk to the Aborigines however Frank openly associates with them and accepts their hospitality 

Sergeant: This time I sent Munday back to his camp with a warning; next time I'll nail him and the bloke that buys wine for him. The last bloke I nabbed for supplying is doing three months hard labour in Fremantle

Frank has been clearly warned by the sergeant that there are strict punishments for supplying liquor to the Aborigines as they were considered to not be responsible enough to manage their intake of alcohol. 

[Sam and Frank follows Jimmy. The men are slightly drunk]

Even though Frank would receive a very harsh punishment if he was caught distributing liquor to the Aborigines, he continues to help them. Even though being caught would result in it being even more difficult to see his wife and children, he feels that the Mundays and Millimurras should have the rights to be able to drink as much as any of the whites do. Even the sergeant goes out drinking every night while he continues to deny the Aborigines this right. 
Sergeant Carrol
Sergeant Carrol
Dialogue:"Natives best left to keep to themselves" - reinforcing the separation of Western culture from Aboriginal culture.

“It is an offence to supply liquor to an aboriginal native under the aboriginal act” - suggesting that Aboriginals cannot take responsibility for themselves or make educated decisions of their own. They need assistant from the whites as to what not to do, and what to do. 

"No granny, you still get your stick of nigger twist"  - Use of the word 'nigger' promotes connotations of inferiority. It is an example of overt racist colloquialism. 

"They're afraid to look for [employment] in case they find it" - reinforcing the stereotype that Aboriginals are lazy.

Stage Direction: "As they leave he raises his voice after them." - This shows the sergeants sense of superiority, and how he demands to be heard (asserting dominance and a sense of authority).

Rations: symbolic of Aboriginal reliance on Western culture.

Much of the sergeant's dialogue reflects ideals of white dominance and the idea that Aboriginals are below white people in terms of social hierarchy.

"I'm afraid that soap is no longer included as a ration item" hipocracy as whites complain of Aboriginals having poor hygiene however putting barriers in way to prevent them from achieving White hygiene. Almost don't want Aboriginals to reach same level of civilisation and are depriving them of basic necessities.
Matron Neal
Matron Neal
"Now look at those fingernails, David; perhaps you could set and example by going off and scrubbing them."

CHARACTERISATION 
- Married to the corrupt and extremely racist Mr Neal
- Extremely hygiene conscious, inadvertently leading her to be condescending to the Aboriginal characters of the play, imposing western forms of hygiene and language onto them. Despite showing a sense of care and respect unlike the other white Australians in positions of power, the matron cannot overcome her inherent and unintentional racism towards the lifestyle of the Aboriginal Characters. 

 “It seems she was terrified of the prospect of working at the hospital” “I think she's scared of the living” "Just remember that girl is pregnant, and unwell"

These quotes hint that the Matron was somewhat aware of her husband’s violent sexual tendencies towards the Aboriginal women in his care but did little to stop him outside of berating him with words. In parts of the text she demonstrates a sense of care for these girls but it isn't great enough for her to actively stop her husband.

"Don't worry, he'll receive a proper burial"

This quote refers to the matron showing enough care towards the Aboriginal characters to ensure that their relative Jimmy, will receive a proper burial and will not be mistreated in death, showing she does see Aboriginal individuals as people. However, her upbringing and obliviousness to the importance of Aboriginal culture leads her to be inadvertently racist by insisting a white burial for Jimmy instead of a traditional Aboriginal one, showing that she is unintentionally and non-maliciously racist but racist nonetheless.
Auber Octavius Neville
Auber Octavius Neville 
“AUBER OCTAVIUS NEVILLE, groomed and dressed smartly, addresses the Royal Western Australian Historical Society. Behind him is a portrait of the King, the Union Jack and the Western Australian flag.” (Scene Five)
Neville is very much patriotic to England and believes Australia is very much apart of it. By mentioning his full name, Davis has incorporated a deliberate historical illusion of the first roman emperor connoting to his fictitious importance.

OPPRESSION AND DISCRIMINATION

“Some thirteen thousand savages” (pg 80)- by terming them as savages, he is isolating the aborigines and talking down to them. The aborigines are not people but animals that don't belong in white society and therefore they should be separated and treated inhumanely.

“It's essential that the town and shire are quite devoid of natives after the seventeenth.” (42)- It's clear to see that the whites, especially Neville, would like to get rid of Aborigines as soon as possible, oppressing them to a mere ‘native’, wanting to get rid of them

“‘Rotten with scabies’, and as a result of-ah, Well, various submissions, it's been decided to transfer the entire native population to the Moore River Settlement” (pg 42)- Mr Neville is successfully trying to separate the whites and the aboriginal people, forcibly removing them from their homes and shipping them far, far away. 

INJUSTICE AND INEQUALITY

“No native will need to leave the train at any stage of the journey. I'll leave it to your discretion what personal luggage is to accompany your charges, preferably as little as possible.” (Pg 42) - gross mistreatment of people, whites have control over every aspect of their lives, what to bring etc.

“The proposed budget cut of 134 pounds could be met by discontinuing the supply of meat in native rations. Soap was discontinued this financial year.” (15) The aboriginals are treated like savages that are not even worthy of basic personal hygiene like soap. 

“I’m appalled by this disgraceful demonstration of ingratitude… There will be no privileges from now on.” (Pg 93)- irony, he abuses his power as a protector of them and instead treats them as second class citizens but expects to be grateful regardless. 

Neville rises. The whites clap while the Aborigines remain silent. (91)

THE IMPACT OF COLONIALISM
Mr Neville condescendingly tells them that they should be “preparing yourselves here to take your place in Australian society, to live as other Australians live, to live alongside other Australians” (92) Accordingly, they must “shoulder the responsibilities of living like the white man.

“I'd like to see each child issued with a handkerchief and instructed on its use.” & “I take your point about losing them and suggest attaching them to their sleeves by way of tape.” (18) 

“If you can successfully inculcate such basic but essential details of civilised living you will have helped them along the road to taking their place in Australian society.” The aboriginal people have lost their culture as a result of colonialism, and are forced to, ‘take their place in Australian society’.

“Australia day at the settlement is always something I look forward to.”

CULTURE AND IDENTITY 
“It doesn't hurt to remind yourselves that you are preparing yourselves here to take your place in Australian society, to live as other Australians live, and to live alongside other Australians; to learn to enjoy the privileges and to shoulder the responsibilities of living like the white man, to be treated equally, not worse, not better, under the law.”(92) The hierarchical gap between the whites and the Aborigines is clear as Neville repeats the word ‘Australian’ over and over alluding to the fact that Aborigines were not considered as ‘Australian’.

“As a recreation park, for boy scouts and picnic parties”
Depriving the Indigenous Australians of what is trivial as they continue to isolate them and push them out of their own culture. Isolation of western society.
MR NEAL
MR NEAL
"Utterly corrupt, perverted and evil"
Sadistic, forceful approach to intimidate the Aborigines at Moore River

LANGUAGE & IDENTITY
-Refuses to allow the Sister to give Aboriginal children any books ; "It's quite out of the question" "A little knowledge is a dangerous thing"
 > keeping them uneducated = can't understand legislation...
HYPOCRISY
-Neal sexually assaults Indigenous women in hospitals
- [Mary brings him tea on a tray. He leers at her body]
- Mary : "she came back boodjarri... he you know... forced her"
-30/80 Aboriginal girls return from domestic services pregnant
-Despite descriptions by the whites of the Indigenous as rapists and untrustworthy; "He wouldn't be able to go out and leave his wife home alone at night"
RACISM

Neal reverts back to true self, revealing his inherently racist nature. In the moment Neal is racist, demonstrating that he thinks of indigenous australians as savages, not equals. 
“You bloody incompetent savage” “I can handle a mob of unruly niggers”

‘us’ vs ‘them’ mentality: “one of US stabbed-typical- and one of them shot” 


Sexual perversion: 

evident by MARY saying (about Neal): “He’s always hangin’ around where the girls are working’:in the cookhouse, in the sewing’ room. And he’s always carrying’ that cat-o’-nine tails”


SEGREGATION


“youre supposed to be up in the quarantine camp” - separation from the whites

"Too late. Funeral's tomorrow"
 > white control, the Mundays and Millimurras can't attend Jimmy's funeral




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# data[].attributes.body
These quotes show that in his desperation to please his White superiors, Billy becomes willing to utilise violence against other Aboriginals, and even members of his own tribe. He works as a foil to Joe and Mary's plan to run away together and gets into a violent struggle with Joe. He later lies to Neal about Joes actions towards him to make Joe out as a proper criminal. This, combined with his short fuse and willingness to resort to violence upon the Aboriginals and their children suggest that despite being a victim of white society's actions, Billy himself has become an opressor himself. He is seen as a traitor in the eyes of his Aboriginal Kin, as seen by the children's reference to him as a "Black Crow"

“Wahrdung, wahrdung, black crow!” 
The children call Billy a ‘black crow’ to signify his betrayal of his people and his race in order to live a comfortable life, relative to the treatment of the other Aboriginals, with the whites. Billy is still treated as subhuman and is given no respect and although he would rather sacrifice his people and culture when faced with the alternative, which is to suffer under inhumane conditions at the hands of the likes of Neal and Neville. 

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"Gudeeah bin kill 'em. Finish, kill 'em. Big mob, 1926, kill em big mob my country"

Billy is an Aboriginal Tracker who turned to working for the White Australians in an attempt to survive the changes they have imposed in the world around him. Whilst keeping in touch with his Aboriginal culture through moments such as the dancing scene and quotes such as: "That your country. You sit back down that place" and " No, no, no. You song man, you fella dance men. This still your country.", he struggles to embrace that side of him, as he is desperate to fit into white society and please the people in power. This leads him to be incredibly subservient to his white superiors, catering to their every whim and taking both verbal and physical abuse without retaliation.

"She give girl. Mitjer Neal says she gotta come back."
"You bad boy, Tjenna Guppi gunna git you!"

These quotes show that in his desperation to please his White superiors, Billy becomes willing to utilise violence against other Aboriginals, and even members of his own tribe. He works as a foil to Joe and Mary's plan to run away together and gets into a violent struggle with Joe. He later lies to Neal about Joes actions towards him to make Joe out as a proper criminal. This, combined with his short fuse and willingness to resort to violence upon the Aboriginals and their children suggest that despite being a victim of white society's actions, Billy himself has become an opressor himself. He is seen as a traitor in the eyes of his Aboriginal Kin, as seen by the children's reference to him as a "Black Crow"

“Wahrdung, wahrdung, black crow!”

The children call Billy a ‘black crow’ to signify his betrayal of his people and his race in order to live a comfortable life, relative to the treatment of the other Aboriginals, with the whites. Billy is still treated as subhuman and is given no respect and although he would rather sacrifice his people and culture when faced with the alternative, which is to suffer under inhumane conditions at the hands of the likes of Neal and Neville.

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"You ain't the boss...chergeant!"

"Now cover you in ashes. More better than Johnson's Baby Powder, eh?" - Depicts the idea that Aboriginals still value tradition despite being overwhelming artificiality of white Western culture.

"Scabies we ain't go it" - assuming uncleanliness

The sergeant tries to appease her with a stick of gnummari (tobacco). However, Gran is able to stand her ground for what she believes in if she deems it necessary. For example, when she refused to leave without her dog - "She tears her hair and throws plates and mugs about."

"You wanna watch them manatj, they warrah there now". Shows the continuation of Aboringial oppression, that even after time has past Aboriginals have seen little improvement in their qualitity of life and treatment from the Whites. Their struggle remains a day to day obstacle.

Gran is a very wise character. When Joe and Mary leave with their baby, she sings a song which talks about how she hopes they will one day escape the white supremacy ideology, albeit unlikely.

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"What am I gonna wash with? How can I keep my kids clean and sen' 'em to school"
> enforces the stereotype that Aborigines don't have a sense of personal hygiene
"Don't you go wrappin' him up in the gubment blanket. You put him in a proper box"
> demonstrates the abandonment of Aboriginal culture and traditions of burials (Western vs Aboriginal traditions of death)

INJUSTICE

“What for? We ain’t done nothing.”

insight into forced removal of indigenous Australians & treatment. The law enforcement officers in this play treated the Millimuras like criminals, dragging them out of their houses and to ‘quarantine camps’

“Cockies want ‘em to work for nothing”

‘white’ australians were sometimes referred to as cockatoos, based on the similarities of physical appearances.

phrase essentially presents the enslavement of aboriginals. The indigenous Australians of the 1920’s/30’s worked in poor conditions for little, (but most likely no) wage in return.

CONDITIONS

“Dawarra, nitja wetjala”

“be quiet, there is a white person”. Presents suspicion of the Millimura family towards white Australians . They change their behaviour because they do not trust the aboriginals

IMPACT ON CULTURE

“Here’s twopence, you can buy an apple each for lunch”

Demonstrates cultural assimilation of Aboriginals to white culture. The use of currency suggests passivity of indigenous australians to the eradication of their culture, shows their concern with fitting in with the whites rather than preserving their own traditions

In indigenous australian culture, everything is interlinked and shared between members. There is no concept of ownership or purchase-indigenous australians have had no need for currency to buy food, it was shared.

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OPPRESSION AND DISCRIMINATION

Jimmy points out, at least they can walk down the street after sundown. (23) In contrast the aborigines suffer hardship and discrimination. Jimmy lists the restrictions: ‘they aren’t allowed to go down the soak, not allowed to march” and in the stage directions, “mimes handcuffs and goal” (23) to suggest that the slightest infractions will lead to incarceration

“This time your sentence is three months with hard labour” The aboriginals get harsher jail sentences in comparison to whites just because they are aboriginal, this depicting the ingrained discrimination of White society even in a place of supposed justice and law.

“Whole town knows why we're goin’. ‘Cos wetjalas in this town don't want us ‘ere, won't want our kids at the school, with their kids.” This is a clear example of the discrimination that the aborigines faced, they were considered second class citizens and savages that didn't belong in white culture and as a result are removed and isolated.

INJUSTICE AND INEQUALITY

“More like three-course bloody pig swill. Treacle and bread or bread and fat, take your pick.”(51) - Gives the reader an insight as to how they were treated. Almost equivalent to prison food.

“Nothin’ to do with bloody scabies. And that's why we got dragged ‘ere, so them wetjalas vote for him.’(93) - The whites used the scabies epidemic as a facade to demonstrate to the wider society that their intention is to protect the Aboriginals and be their saviour. In reality, they couldn't care less about their wellbeing and are using them to make themselves appear the superior race in order to receive votes for Jimmy Mitchell’s campaign.

“Not worth losin’ a bloody election over, that's all.” (45) It signifies that Aboriginal lives are worth less than votes in an election.

“Fuck you, you white bastard, fuck you [singing feebly] ‘I don’t give damn for any damn man, that dont give a damn for me.” (Pg 28)- jimmy shows how the whites in power whose duty was to be above the law and protect those does not apply in the case of the aborigines. They were not looked after and the whites with authority abused their power and exercised complete control over the aborigines.

THE IMPACT OF COLONIALISM

Jimmy states that the whites (wetjalas) “took our country” and therefore the Indigenous Australians are in a helpless position of dependence.

“So he could have a nice, white little town, a nice, white little fuckin’ town.”(94) The whites have come to conquer the aborigine land and displace the aborigines from their own homes, forcibly removing them. By segregating the whites and aborigines, the whites effectively create a society without the ‘natives.’

Jimmy crawls for his coat, then for the bottle (25) symbolising his growing dependence on white materials like alcohol.

CULTURE AND IDENTITY

Jimmy runs out breath, heaves and clutches his chest. Sam catches him as e collapse, clutching at the flagpole. The official party continues to sing, ‘God Save the King.’ Jimmy’s family rushes to him. (94) - Him clutching the British flag is an ironic symbol, as he is using something that oppresses his own culture and identity to save his life.

“what, a dried up orange and puddin’?...Bread and drippin’ and black tea.” (93) Jimmy and the aborigines have become dependent on white culture and have lost their innate ability to use nature to satisfy their needs, instead they have become reliant on the whites being able to provide for them. They have distanced from their cultural backgrounds and identity.

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Sergeant: you've been seen hangin' about with natives
Frank: It's not against the law

Frank sympathises with the Aborigines and unlike most of the whites he willingly associates with them. During that time period the Aborigines were seen as less than the whites, with western culture being superior. As a result the Aborigines were considered to be below the whites and there was a distinctive separation between the two groups. By willingly "hangin' about" the Mundays and Millimurra family, he openly defies the expectations and beliefs that the rest of white society had.

Jimmy: He's our friend

In scene three Jimmy refers to Frank as his friend, establishing that the two men already have a close relationship. Most of the whites would not even talk to the Aborigines however Frank openly associates with them and accepts their hospitality

Sergeant: This time I sent Munday back to his camp with a warning; next time I'll nail him and the bloke that buys wine for him. The last bloke I nabbed for supplying is doing three months hard labour in Fremantle

Frank has been clearly warned by the sergeant that there are strict punishments for supplying liquor to the Aborigines as they were considered to not be responsible enough to manage their intake of alcohol.

[Sam and Frank follows Jimmy. The men are slightly drunk]

Even though Frank would receive a very harsh punishment if he was caught distributing liquor to the Aborigines, he continues to help them. Even though being caught would result in it being even more difficult to see his wife and children, he feels that the Mundays and Millimurras should have the rights to be able to drink as much as any of the whites do. Even the sergeant goes out drinking every night while he continues to deny the Aborigines this right.

# data[].attributes.body
Dialogue:"Natives best left to keep to themselves" - reinforcing the separation of Western culture from Aboriginal culture.

“It is an offence to supply liquor to an aboriginal native under the aboriginal act” - suggesting that Aboriginals cannot take responsibility for themselves or make educated decisions of their own. They need assistant from the whites as to what not to do, and what to do.

"No granny, you still get your stick of nigger twist"  - Use of the word 'nigger' promotes connotations of inferiority. It is an example of overt racist colloquialism.

"They're afraid to look for [employment] in case they find it" - reinforcing the stereotype that Aboriginals are lazy.

Stage Direction: "As they leave he raises his voice after them." - This shows the sergeants sense of superiority, and how he demands to be heard (asserting dominance and a sense of authority).

Rations: symbolic of Aboriginal reliance on Western culture.

Much of the sergeant's dialogue reflects ideals of white dominance and the idea that Aboriginals are below white people in terms of social hierarchy.

"I'm afraid that soap is no longer included as a ration item" hipocracy as whites complain of Aboriginals having poor hygiene however putting barriers in way to prevent them from achieving White hygiene. Almost don't want Aboriginals to reach same level of civilisation and are depriving them of basic necessities.

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"Now look at those fingernails, David; perhaps you could set and example by going off and scrubbing them."

CHARACTERISATION
- Married to the corrupt and extremely racist Mr Neal
- Extremely hygiene conscious, inadvertently leading her to be condescending to the Aboriginal characters of the play, imposing western forms of hygiene and language onto them. Despite showing a sense of care and respect unlike the other white Australians in positions of power, the matron cannot overcome her inherent and unintentional racism towards the lifestyle of the Aboriginal Characters.

“It seems she was terrified of the prospect of working at the hospital” “I think she's scared of the living” "Just remember that girl is pregnant, and unwell"

These quotes hint that the Matron was somewhat aware of her husband’s violent sexual tendencies towards the Aboriginal women in his care but did little to stop him outside of berating him with words. In parts of the text she demonstrates a sense of care for these girls but it isn't great enough for her to actively stop her husband.

"Don't worry, he'll receive a proper burial"

This quote refers to the matron showing enough care towards the Aboriginal characters to ensure that their relative Jimmy, will receive a proper burial and will not be mistreated in death, showing she does see Aboriginal individuals as people. However, her upbringing and obliviousness to the importance of Aboriginal culture leads her to be inadvertently racist by insisting a white burial for Jimmy instead of a traditional Aboriginal one, showing that she is unintentionally and non-maliciously racist but racist nonetheless.

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“AUBER OCTAVIUS NEVILLE, groomed and dressed smartly, addresses the Royal Western Australian Historical Society. Behind him is a portrait of the King, the Union Jack and the Western Australian flag.” (Scene Five)

Neville is very much patriotic to England and believes Australia is very much apart of it. By mentioning his full name, Davis has incorporated a deliberate historical illusion of the first roman emperor connoting to his fictitious importance.

OPPRESSION AND DISCRIMINATION

“Some thirteen thousand savages” (pg 80)- by terming them as savages, he is isolating the aborigines and talking down to them. The aborigines are not people but animals that don't belong in white society and therefore they should be separated and treated inhumanely.

“It's essential that the town and shire are quite devoid of natives after the seventeenth.” (42)- It's clear to see that the whites, especially Neville, would like to get rid of Aborigines as soon as possible, oppressing them to a mere ‘native’, wanting to get rid of them

“‘Rotten with scabies’, and as a result of-ah, Well, various submissions, it's been decided to transfer the entire native population to the Moore River Settlement” (pg 42)- Mr Neville is successfully trying to separate the whites and the aboriginal people, forcibly removing them from their homes and shipping them far, far away.

INJUSTICE AND INEQUALITY

“No native will need to leave the train at any stage of the journey. I'll leave it to your discretion what personal luggage is to accompany your charges, preferably as little as possible.” (Pg 42) - gross mistreatment of people, whites have control over every aspect of their lives, what to bring etc.

“The proposed budget cut of 134 pounds could be met by discontinuing the supply of meat in native rations. Soap was discontinued this financial year.” (15) The aboriginals are treated like savages that are not even worthy of basic personal hygiene like soap.

“I’m appalled by this disgraceful demonstration of ingratitude… There will be no privileges from now on.” (Pg 93)- irony, he abuses his power as a protector of them and instead treats them as second class citizens but expects to be grateful regardless.

Neville rises. The whites clap while the Aborigines remain silent. (91)

THE IMPACT OF COLONIALISM

Mr Neville condescendingly tells them that they should be “preparing yourselves here to take your place in Australian society, to live as other Australians live, to live alongside other Australians” (92) Accordingly, they must “shoulder the responsibilities of living like the white man.

“I'd like to see each child issued with a handkerchief and instructed on its use.” & “I take your point about losing them and suggest attaching them to their sleeves by way of tape.” (18)

“If you can successfully inculcate such basic but essential details of civilised living you will have helped them along the road to taking their place in Australian society.” The aboriginal people have lost their culture as a result of colonialism, and are forced to, ‘take their place in Australian society’.

“Australia day at the settlement is always something I look forward to.”

CULTURE AND IDENTITY

“It doesn't hurt to remind yourselves that you are preparing yourselves here to take your place in Australian society, to live as other Australians live, and to live alongside other Australians; to learn to enjoy the privileges and to shoulder the responsibilities of living like the white man, to be treated equally, not worse, not better, under the law.”(92) The hierarchical gap between the whites and the Aborigines is clear as Neville repeats the word ‘Australian’ over and over alluding to the fact that Aborigines were not considered as ‘Australian’.

“As a recreation park, for boy scouts and picnic parties”

Depriving the Indigenous Australians of what is trivial as they continue to isolate them and push them out of their own culture. Isolation of western society.

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"Utterly corrupt, perverted and evil"
Sadistic, forceful approach to intimidate the Aborigines at Moore River

LANGUAGE & IDENTITY
-Refuses to allow the Sister to give Aboriginal children any books ; "It's quite out of the question" "A little knowledge is a dangerous thing"
> keeping them uneducated = can't understand legislation...
HYPOCRISY
-Neal sexually assaults Indigenous women in hospitals
- [Mary brings him tea on a tray. He leers at her body]
- Mary : "she came back boodjarri... he you know... forced her"
-30/80 Aboriginal girls return from domestic services pregnant
-Despite descriptions by the whites of the Indigenous as rapists and untrustworthy; "He wouldn't be able to go out and leave his wife home alone at night"
RACISM

Neal reverts back to true self, revealing his inherently racist nature. In the moment Neal is racist, demonstrating that he thinks of indigenous australians as savages, not equals.

“You bloody incompetent savage” “I can handle a mob of unruly niggers”

‘us’ vs ‘them’ mentality: “one of US stabbed-typical- and one of them shot”

Sexual perversion:

evident by MARY saying (about Neal): “He’s always hangin’ around where the girls are working’:in the cookhouse, in the sewing’ room. And he’s always carrying’ that cat-o’-nine tails”

SEGREGATION

“youre supposed to be up in the quarantine camp” - separation from the whites

"Too late. Funeral's tomorrow"
> white control, the Mundays and Millimurras can't attend Jimmy's funeral