Hull River Aboriginal Settlement facts for kids

The Hull River Aboriginal Settlement was a special place set up for Aboriginal people in 1914. It was located where Mission Beach is today, in Queensland, Australia. This settlement was built on the land of the Djiru people. Aboriginal people from nearby areas were brought here, sometimes for their safety, and sometimes for other reasons. Up to 400 people lived there.

A very powerful cyclone destroyed the settlement in 1918. The people who survived were then moved to a new settlement on Great Palm Island.

The Djiru People and Early Contact

The Djiru people spoke the Dyirbal language. They lived along this island coast. They were connected to other groups like the Dyirbal, Girramay, and Gulngay people. These groups lived near the Tully River and Murray River. The Djiru people were skilled hunters, fishers, and gatherers. They used the rich plants and animals from the rainforests and coast for their needs. They were very good at making and using canoes and rafts. They were also expert at fishing in both fresh and ocean waters.

Long before white settlers arrived in 1882, the Djiru people met early explorers and coastal surveyors. They also met people from fishing boats that collected sea cucumbers. Timber cutters sometimes camped on the beaches. They occasionally hired Aboriginal people for work, paying them with tobacco or tools.

After 1900, many Chinese banana growers lived along the Tully River. They cleared land to grow bananas. They sent their bananas to markets in the south. They loaded the fruit from their small boats onto bigger boats. These bigger boats then took the fruit to coastal steamers waiting at the river mouth. The Chinese growers often paid Aboriginal workers very little.

In 1912, a few white settlers started living in the area that later became known as South Mission Beach.

Setting Up the Settlement

The Queensland Government decided to create the Hull River Aboriginal Settlement. They chose a high, remote spot at the north end of what is now South Mission Beach. This was done under a law called the Aboriginals Protection and Restriction of the Sale of Opium Act 1897. This law was the first to give special legal control over Aboriginal people. It was stricter than similar laws in other parts of Australia. It allowed the government to create special reserves for Aboriginal people. It also allowed them to control where people lived and moved. People could even be forced to move to these reserves.

The government hoped this new reserve would help with problems between the new settlers and Aboriginal people. However, by the time the settlement opened, many Djiru people had already moved away. Only about one-fifth of the original population remained in the area.

Superintendent John Martin Kenny arrived on September 1, 1914. He had worked as a police officer and an engineer before. He chose the site for the settlement. It was a place open to winds from the sea. Homes were built for the Superintendent, his assistant, and the storekeeper. A school was also built. The people living at the settlement stayed in homes made from ti-tree bark. Most of these homes were along the seafront.

The residents worked for the settlement, often growing bananas. Sometimes they worked for other employers. The food provided was very basic. People often had to find extra food from the bush. Sometimes they were allowed to fish or catch turtles using a boat.

Over time, more people were moved to the settlement. These people came from many different areas across the state. For example, in 1916, 82 Aboriginal people were sent here. They came from places like Thursday Island, Cooktown, and Atherton. They were sent for "disciplinary reasons" or for their "protection."

By 1916, about 490 people lived at the settlement. But in 1917, about 200 people died when malaria spread in the area. Others ran away when they could. By March 1918, about 300 people were left.

The Great Cyclone of 1918

On Sunday, March 10, 1918, a very strong cyclone hit the area. A huge storm surge also swept across the coast. The cyclone crossed the Queensland coast near Innisfail. It destroyed almost every building in that town. Winds reached up to 288 kilometers per hour. More than 305 millimeters of rain fell.

The calm center of the storm, called the eye, passed near the Hull River Settlement around 10 PM. It wiped out all the buildings except for the flour store and shop. Superintendent Kenny and his daughter were killed by flying pieces of wood and other debris. Many residents also died. The storm surge was estimated to be 12 feet high. It destroyed the Aboriginal people's coastal humpies (shelters). It swept several people out to sea. The water also went hundreds of meters inland.

Records show that 37 people died in Innisfail itself. Another 40 to 60 people died in the areas around it. It is likely that many more people were killed at the time. Record-keeping was not very good back then. It is possible that over 100 people died, making it one of the worst natural disasters in Australian history.

After the Cyclone: Moving On

A rescue team set out from Townsville on a boat called the Innisfail. They reached Dunk Island a few days later. They struggled through damaged plants and swollen rivers to reach the dead and injured people. Mrs. Kenny, who was pregnant, was injured and sent to Townsville. However, the government doctor did not arrive until March 31. The survivors who stayed at the settlement tried to save any food they could find.

The number of deaths was not clear, but it is thought that up to 100 Aboriginal people died and were buried at the site. Kenny and his daughter were buried in a different place. Many people had run into the bush. It is possible that many more died later from their injuries.

The Government Health Inspector suggested creating a new reserve on Great Palm Island. This island is about 37 miles off the coast, northeast of Townsville. This new place would be for the remaining residents. From June 1918, these survivors were taken there by force. Other Aboriginal people rounded up by police in the bush around Tully and Cardwell were also taken to Palm Island.

The entire Hull River Settlement was moved to the new reserve. This included any building materials that could be saved.

South Mission Beach Today

After the Hull River Settlement was left empty, white settlers slowly moved into the area. A town was planned in 1938. It was first named Kenny, but its name was officially changed to South Mission Beach in 1967.

A memorial called the Mija Memorial was put up 100 years later, on March 10, 2018. It remembers the people who died in the cyclone.

Images for kids

• Hull River Aboriginal Settlement 1914.jpg

  Hull River Aboriginal Settlement in 1914