Caprice by Doris Pilkington Garimara Read Free Book Online Page B

children would enter a new phase in their lives. It was time to abolish the protection policy and legislate a new policy—the assimilation policy. Basically the assimilation policy meant that Aborigines were expected to achieve and attain the same standards of living as their white counterparts, and they would eventually become absorbed into the mainstream Australian society and be treated equally as Australian citizens. The Settlements were closing down, becoming obsolete, and Christian missions were being established throughout the state under various denominations.

The Mission
    We didn’t travel down directly to the Roelands Native Mission Farm but made a couple of detours because the mission authorities were unsure whether they could take the full quota. They needed a fortnight to plan and reorganise themselves. So for two exciting weeks we holidayed in Perth at what was then the Displaced Persons Camp (for refugees from Europe) at Swanbourne. It seemed an appropriate place for a vacation—to us at least—the displaced and misplaced children from the Settlements.
    The Displaced Persons from Europe, or DPs our guardians called them, and the misplaced children of Aborigines had little or no contact with each other. We were aware that these “New Australians” lived on the other side of the camp. All the girls were cautioned and instructed on what action to take if confronted by one: “Don’t talk to them. Run straight to the huts immediately.” Basically our fears and those of the staff had no foundation whatsoever. They were based purely on assumptions that these foreigners were all bad people, the worst kind of human beings on earth.
    I can remember the first time I encountered one of them. It was one morning towards the end of our vacation. I was standing on the edge of the road watching intently for the girls to return from the canteen down the road.They were bringing some P.K. and spearmint chewing gum and lollies. The girls from Moore River took to the chewing gum instantly, it was much more pleasant and enjoyable than the “bush chewies” we got from the gum or resin found on young banksias. We chewed these long after the flavour had gone.
    I heard or at least I thought I heard a man’s voice; it sounded very close. I turned quickly to face the speaker and there he was. A DP. An Eye talian (Italian) standing there grinning widely, displaying his discoloured tobacco-stained teeth. I forgot the chewing gum and ran like a frightened rabbit, and didn’t stop until I was safely inside the hut.
    Apart from such surprises those weeks in Perth were filled pleasantly sight-seeing, picnicking on the Swan River, Kings Park, visiting the South Perth zoo and going to the local picture theatres.
    But swimming in the ocean was what we enjoyed the most—especially when we were being dumped by the big waves. We laughed at and with each other when we coughed, spluttered and blew our noses and went back for more. This was the first time we had seen the sea and found it most fascinating and enjoyable.
    On the last day of our holidays we said our tearful goodbyes to our Roman Catholic friends who departed on a big bus to their final destination, the Wandering Mission near Narrogin. We wondered if we would ever meet again.
    A further delay—the mission needed two more weeks, so we passed the time at the Carrolup Settlement waiting patiently for them to decide how many girls they were prepared to take in their charge. They said they would accept all of us Church of England girls.

    The first thing I noticed when we arrived at the entrance to the mission was the very large sign that said “The Roelands Native Mission Farm”, and written underneath that was a text from the bible saying “Suffer the little children to come unto me and forbid them not for theirs is the Kingdom of God.”
    However, before we could be welcomed and accepted into the Kingdom of God we had