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

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.

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.

"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.

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. 

“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. 

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. 

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. 

INJUSTICE

CONDITIONS

IMPACT ON CULTURE

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.