Maloga Mission facts for kids
The Maloga Aboriginal Mission Station, often called Maloga Mission, was a special place for Aboriginal people in Australia. It was set up near the Murray River in New South Wales, about 15 miles (24 km) from the town of Moama. The mission was located next to a large forest area.
A man named Daniel Matthews, who was a Christian missionary and a teacher, started Maloga Mission with his brother William. It began in 1874 but became a permanent settlement in 1876. The people who lived at Maloga were mainly from the Yorta Yorta Nation and other Aboriginal groups from the Murray River area. The mission closed in 1888. Many residents moved about 5 miles (8 km) upriver to a new place called Cummeragunja Reserve. They even moved the mission buildings there! It's interesting to know that the Maloga cricket team used to play against other local teams.
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Life at Maloga Mission
Life at Maloga Mission involved education and work. The mission aimed to provide a place for Aboriginal people to live and learn. It also helped them find work and connect with the wider community.
The Maloga Mission School
The Maloga Mission School opened in 1874. Daniel Matthews' wife, Janet Matthews, played a big part in teaching at the school. The school would publish yearly reports about its progress and the students. Education was an important part of the mission's goals for the children and young people living there.
How the Mission was Funded
The Maloga Mission needed money to operate. It received donations from the public. Also, Aboriginal men living at the mission earned money by working at nearby sheep and cattle farms. Daniel Matthews also asked the Government of New South Wales for financial help. In 1878, he helped create a group called the Committee to Aid the Maloga Mission. This group later became the New South Wales Aborigines Protection Association. From 1881, this association started giving money to support the mission.
Important Records and Petitions
Daniel Matthews kept detailed records about the Maloga Aboriginal Mission. These records cover the years from 1873 to 1891. His papers include his personal diaries and reports about the mission. They also contain notes about how the Association for the Protection of Aborigines of New South Wales was formed in 1878. These documents often mention other missionaries, like Reverend William Ridley and Reverend John B. Gribble, who worked at the nearby Warangesda Aboriginal Mission.
Requests for Land
The people at Maloga Mission worked hard to secure their future. In April 1881, 42 Yorta Yorta men living at the mission wrote a special request, called a petition. They sent it to the Governor of New South Wales, Augustus Loftus, asking for land of their own. Daniel Matthews took this petition to Sydney for them. It was even printed in major newspapers like the Sydney Morning Herald and the Daily Telegraph in July 1881.
Just two years after this petition, some land was set aside to create the Cummeragunja Reserve. This new reserve was about 4 miles (6 km) upriver from Maloga Mission.
Visiting the Governor
In July 1887, the Governor, Lord Carrington, visited the town of Moama. Representatives from the Maloga Mission were there to meet him. They presented another petition, this time asking Queen Victoria to grant land to their community. Important Aboriginal leaders signed this petition, including Robert Cooper, Samson Barber, Aaron Atkinson, Hughy Anderson, John Cooper, Edgar Atkinson, Whyman McLean, John Atkinson, William Cooper, George Middleton, and Edward Joachim.
A young man named Jack Cooper, who had been trained and educated at Maloga, read a welcome speech. He also presented the petition to the Governor. The petition asked for 100 acres (40 hectares) of land to be given to Aboriginal men who could farm. This land would help them support their families and build homes. Both Lord Carrington and the Colonial Treasurer, Mr. Burns, promised to support the Aboriginal people's efforts. The mission group cheered, and the school children sang "God Save the Queen," which everyone enjoyed.
Moving to Cummeragunja
By 1888, most of the people living at Maloga had moved to the Cummeragunja Reserve. They moved because they were not happy with the very strict religious rules at Maloga. The buildings from Maloga were also moved and rebuilt at Cummeragunja Reserve. The name "Coomerugunja" was given to the new reserve by a superintendent appointed by the Aborigines Protection Association in Sydney.
Thomas Shadrach James continued to teach at the new Cummeragunja location. Daniel Matthews' son, John Kerr Matthews, was one of his students and praised him as a very dedicated teacher. Daniel Matthews himself continued to work for Aboriginal people even after his official connection with the Aborigines Protection Association ended in April 1888. He and his wife, Janet, stayed at Maloga Mission for a while, hoping to start a new mission at Bribie Island, but this plan never happened.
See also
- Thomas Shadrach James
- William Cooper (Aboriginal Australian)
- List of Aboriginal missions in New South Wales
