Remembering Mount Margaret Mission

Book: A collection of children’s crayon drawings created in 1939

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Cultural acknowledgement

DLGSC pays respect to the Wongatha people as the custodians of the land on which the Mount Margaret Community is located, and to all Aboriginal people past and present who are linked to the area historically and culturally. Most importantly, recognition is given to the children whose drawings are represented in this publication and their descendants who kindly supported this project.

Warning and sensitivities

Please be advised this publication contains images of people who have passed away.

[Cover] A panorama of Mount Margaret Mission, 1933.

A1340_ER3_84A3, Schenk Family Collection, State Library of Western Australia.

Published 2022 by Nani Creative.

Introduction

The year 2021 marks the centenary of the establishment of the Mount Margaret Mission, a place of great cultural and historical significance to Aboriginal people throughout the Goldfields region and beyond.

To commemorate this significant milestone, Aboriginal History WA (AHWA) has taken the opportunity of highlighting a number of ‘long-lost’ crayon drawings produced by some of the children attending school during 1939.

As a collection these drawings provide a unique window into life on the mission through the eyes and creative minds of the children — a perspective that is almost always silenced in the written record. They vary in context, capturing elements of traditional life, the natural environment and the inner workings of the imagination.

Some of the artists would go onto achieve national recognition in their professional life and within the community, never losing their links to Mount Margaret.

An old black and white photograph of Aboriginal children at Mount Margaret Mission

A panorama of Mount Margaret Mission, 1933.
BA1340_ERA3_84A3, Schenk Family Collection, State Library of Western Australia.

Portrait of Laurel Cooper smiling

Reflection by Laurel Cooper

Hello, my name is Laurel Cooper (nee Johnston) and I’m 87 years old. I am the second youngest of the last four girls still alive who were at the Mount Margaret School when the pictures in this book were drawn. Dora, Lorraine and Maisie are the other three. They were my sisters in the Graham Home (the dormitory).

I would have been in the kindergarten at the time and I cannot remember Mr Tindale who collected the drawings but I do remember all of the girls and boys who drew them, even though some of them passed away many years ago.

When I looked at the drawings they brought back memories of the time when I was at the mission. I can still remember how it looked so long ago, our old school building, the church, the hall and the houses. Some of the people who lived in them had pretty gardens just like you see in this book. I also remember the ‘early days’ cars and trucks and how loud they were, not like the ones we have today. The boys liked drawing these. There are also pictures of warlku (quandong) and marlukurukuru (sturt pea). The warlku is my favourite and we still go out and collect them as well as Karlkurla (bush pear) today.

When I was at school I liked to draw. My teachers Miss Jones and then Mrs Bennett and others would hand out sheets of paper and crayons and we would draw whatever we wanted to. I can still remember my first drawing, it was one of my pet dog, Roogy. He had big, long ears. I was awarded two cherries by my teacher because the picture was so good. I cried when I had to leave my poor dog behind. On other occasions we were given chalk and a slate which we would use time and time again, just like writing on a blackboard.

A couple of years ago one of the pictures that I drew at school along with a story was found in the museum in Melbourne. I was flown across there to see it and given a copy to keep.

Even when we were out of school, we would still draw pictures. Sometimes we used charcoal and drew on the tank stand or on the buildings. These pictures didn’t last very long, especially in the winter when the rain would wash them off. Our mothers also used charcoal to darken our skin when we knew the policemen or protectors were looking for us.

We also used our milpirnti (bent lengths of wire) to create pictures in the sand while telling our stories. We would smooth out the sand, draw a picture with the wire, then smooth it out again to allow us to create another picture for the new part of the story. This was our favourite way of telling a bush story, especially for the girls. A few years ago, I found a copper milpirnti at Gwalia where we used to play sport and still have it with me. I also have coloured pencils and paper at home for visitors to use to draw pictures just like I used to.

I think that all of the boys and girls whose work is in this book would be pukulpa (delighted) to know that their work has not been lost. I know that Dora, Lorraine and Maisie would be.

I would like to thank all the people from Aboriginal History WA for all the work they have done in putting this wonderful book together. It not only gives us a picture of what life was like at the time but, most importantly, provides us with a special way to celebrate the centenary of Mount Margaret.

An old sepia toned photograph of the school

The new School at Mt Margaret almost completed, 1929.

BA1340_ERA3_9A1, Schenk Family Collection, State Library of Western Australia.

Aboriginal children in a classroom. Some students are raising their hands and one student stands at the front of the classroom in front of a blackboard with cursive chalk writing.

Arthur Stokes taking the class in reading in Mt Margaret School, 1934.

BA1340_ERA3_28C, Schenk Family Collection, State Library of Western Australia.

History of Mount Margaret Mission

Located 20km south west of Laverton on the traditional lands of the Wongatha people, Mt Margaret was founded in 1921 by evangelist Rodolphe Samuel Schenk with the assistance of the Australian Aborigines Mission. Initially established as a refuge for the people of the surrounding area, by the end of the decade the ethos would become increasingly diversified with the creation of a school, dormitories, and various commercial enterprises in line with Schenk’s vision of evangelicalism and education.

During this period, many children were forcibly removed from their families and sent to the mission in line with government policy whilst others were placed there by their parents. In some instances, entire families were admitted.

For over half a century, countless families would pass through the mission, some staying a short time whilst others more permanently. People were drawn to the mission from as far east as the Warburton Ranges, Wiluna to the north, with a smaller number coming from the south coast and south-west regions.

From an historical perspective, Mount Margaret is generally acknowledged as being more caring and progressive than other institutions of the era.

Mount Margaret today

By the end of the 1950s the number of families residing at the mission had dwindled significantly with most of the residents leaving to take up opportunities in the surrounding pastoral industry or nearby towns. This trend continued through until the 1975 when the mission closed and responsibility for the community was transferred the Aboriginal Movement for Outback Survival.

Three years later the present school facilities were established catering for students from kindergarten through to year 6. An integral part of the school curriculum is devoted to the retention of the Wongatha culture with art continuing to be a valued form of expression.

Child crayon drawings

The crayon drawings featured in this booklet were collected by the University of Adelaide and the Harvard Board for Anthropological Research on 11 May 1939. An additional 17 were acquired from children attending the mission school at Gnowangerup and 56 from the Moore River Native Settlement school between 1938-1939. A total of 993 drawings were obtained from locations throughout Australia.

The board also collected genealogies and other anthropological and sociological information. Although a genealogy was not recorded for each person within the location, the number of the sheet on which the individual appears is listed within their profile.

The children were provided with sheets of brown wrapping paper (36cm by 53.5cm) and coloured crayons and asked to draw a picture with no limitations placed on the subject matter.

The value of the collection is unquestionable, serving as an important memento to the descendants of the artists and the community as a whole.

An old black and white photograph of a classroom with the students sitting at desks with the teacher

Students in the school at Mt Margaret, 1929.

BA1340_ERA3_9B, Schenk Family Collection, State Library of Western Australia.

Classroom teaching by Queenie, one of the Mount Margaret residents, c.1934.

Bennett, M. “Teaching the aborigines : data from Mount Margaret Mission, W.A. / notes by M.M. Bennett”, page 42.

A teacher addressing students in the classroom

Classroom teaching by Queenie, one of the Mount Margaret residents, c.1934.

Bennett, M. “Teaching the aborigines : data from Mount Margaret Mission, W.A./notes by M.M. Bennett”, page 42.

Name Index to the artists of the Mount Margaret crayon drawings

Cunnama
Blizzard, Woobalie
Brownley, Morris
Cooper, Lena
Cooper, Lorna
Corner, Sadie
Dimer, Edna
Dimer, Ollan
Dimer, Rollick
Dimer, William
Evans, Teddy
Henderson, Bessie
Hill, Snowy
Jones, Jea
McGrath, Lance
McGrath, Ray
Meredith, Freddie
Mindemarra, Mary Josephine
Murray, Gracie
Murray, Tom
Quinn, Dora
Roundhead, Jinmar
Roundhead, Merle
Stokes, Arthur
Stokes, Donald
Tucker, Charlie
Tucker, George
Wesley, Billarissa
Winter, Charlie

Ollan Dimer

Born: 20 February 1928, Noondania
Language group: Not stated
Died: 24 July 2009, Coolgardie

Artwork description

Brown, green, black, blue and lead pencil drawing including a truck and trees by Ollan Dimer.

13 years old when drawing was made.

Reference

Genealogy sheet 154

SAM identifier N.2266, AA 346/18/15/4

Also known as Mary Hill

Born: 25 September 1925, Katanning
Language group: Not stated
Died: Not stated

Artwork description

Red, pink, brown, green, white, black, blue and lead pencil drawing of a house, flowers, hills and trees by Mary Mindermara.

Reference

Genealogy sheet 134

SAM identifier N2315/9, AA 346/18/15/8

Gracie Murray

(nee Dimer)

Born: 10 September 1926, Karonie
Language group: Not stated
Died: 14 July 1995, Kalgoorlie

Artwork description

Red, pink, green, brown, white, black, blue and lead pencil drawing of a house, three trees, flowers and clouds by Gracie.

13 years old when drawing was made.

Reference

Genealogy sheet 157

SAM identifier N.2269, AA 346/18/15/22

Cumba @ Kumba

Also known as Tom Murray

Born: Circa 1926, South East of Mount Margaret
Language group: Nangatadjara
Died: 20 October 2001, Kalgoorlie

Artwork description

Red, white, brown, green and black drawing of a house, trees, phone lines and three people playing with a skipping rope by Cumba.

12 years old when drawing was made.

Reference

Genealogy sheet 166

SAM identifier N.2224, AA 346/18/15/18

Dora Cotterill

Gunjoo Gunjoo

Also known as Arthur Stokes

Born: 15 January 1926, Linden
Language group: Nangatadjara
Died: 26 June 1992, Kalgoorlie

Artwork description

Red, black, white and brown drawing of a house, hills and a car by Arthur.

13 years old when drawing was made.

Reference

Genealogy sheet 172

SAM identifier AA 346/18/15/14, N.2315/5

Byarrjarr @ Biajar

Billarissa

Also known as Bill Wesley

Born: 1 December 1929, East of Laverton
Language group: Ngadadjara
Died: 11 July 1994, Kalgoorlie

Artwork description

White, brown, green, blue, yellow and black drawing including a boat, a house, a tree and the sun by Billarissa.

9 years old when drawing was made.

Reference

Genealogy sheet 165

SAM identifier N.2193, AA 346/18/15/15

Portrait of Boongie

Boongie

Also known as Charlie Winter

Born: Circa 1925, Burtville
Language group: Nangatadjara
Died: 29 August 1989, Laverton

Red, yellow, green, pink, blue, brown and lead pencil drawing including houses, trees, two people birds, plants and two ponds by Boongie

Artwork description

Red, yellow, green, pink, blue, brown and lead pencil drawing including houses, trees, two people birds, plants and two ponds by Boongie.

Circa 14 years old when drawing was made.

Reference

Genealogy sheet

SAM identifier N.2223, AA 346/18/15/16

A group of students with musical instruments

The Mt Margaret Minstrels in Melbourne, 1947.

Era4/53A2, Schenk Family Collection, State Library of Western Australia.

Aboriginal boys in large tyres ready to race

New Years Day at Mt Margaret, 1940s – Boys Tyre Race.

Background: Schenks house, Ration house, Garage and Workshop

009973d, Schenk Family Collection, State Library of Western Australia.

People on an old truck

The Chev. Truck – A picnic. Mt Margaret 1930.

009701d, Schenk Family Collection, State Library of Western Australia.

Junior girls sewing class with Mrs Lovick, Mt Margaret, c.1937.

009797d, Schenk Family Collection, State Library of Western Australia.

Page reviewed 4 Jul 2022

Remembering Mount Margaret Mission

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Cultural acknowledgement

Warning and sensitivities

Introduction

Reflection by Laurel Cooper

History of Mount Margaret Mission

Mount Margaret today

Child crayon drawings

Name Index to the artists of the Mount Margaret crayon drawings

Cunnama

Artwork description

Reference

Woobalie

Artwork description

Reference

Noorie

Artwork description

Reference

Lena Gerardi

Artwork description

Reference

Lorna Walker

Artwork description

Reference

Sadie Canning

Artwork description

Reference

Edna Reid

Artwork description

Reference

Ollan Dimer

Artwork description

Reference

Rollick Dimer

Artwork description

Reference

William Leslie Dimer

Artwork description

Reference

Coomarnoo

Artwork description

Reference

Ninggarlie

Artwork description

Reference

Ngoonjie

Artwork description

Reference

Boonatooroo

Artwork description

Reference

Lance McGrath

Artwork description

Reference

Ray McGrath

Artwork description

Reference

Freddie Meredith

Artwork description

Reference

Mary Josephine Mindemarra

Artwork description

Reference

Gracie Murray

Artwork description

Reference

Cumba @ Kumba

Artwork description

Reference

Dora Cotterill

Artwork description

Reference

Jimmar Reid

Artwork description

Reference

Merle Cable

Artwork description

Reference