Primary tabs
Transcription
5. The Rockhampton and Central Coast-District. My first introduction to the Rockhampton Aboriginals was through "yorkie" whom I met early in June 1897 *9 at Holly Hill where he was taking a contract for clearing timber. He is an aged adult and ex-tracker, and while in the Police Department has visited Normanton, Cloncurry, the Upper Leichardt River etc and hence was able to identify the social clan-systems of his own group or trib, the Tarumbal, with those discoverable in the North-Western areas of the State.
Like all the remants of his people, his own wife being a rare exception, he is addicted to the opium-habit. He speaks English very well and is locally known as a curiosity in that he oftne comes in among the settlers to borrow a sixpence, and invariably repays it! Yorkie travels now been Rockhampton and Gladestone, occasionaly coming a bit further south twards Miriam Vale. His family which accompanies him, consists of a wife (Turomi), a son (Mari), a pure-blood son-in-law and daughter with pure-blood grandson about 15 mos. old, and a half-caste daughter about 19 years of age: his own individual name is Tu-wal-wal.
Of the original Rockhampton tribe, the Tarumbal, not many remains now. At the north Rockhampton camp, the one near the pound-yard, there were about 7 or 8 adults, of whom three were female, and two or three children:.
9* The notes on this district were originally written in July, 1898, having been in continous correspondence during the twelve months interval with many of the "old hands" who supplied me with much important information which, at the actual time of my journey. I was unable to obtain. Among such gentlemen, two at least of whom are deceased, I gratefully mention the names of my W. H. Flowers of medway, Bogantungan (who was on Torilla and Pine Mountain Stations from 1867-91); Mv W. T. Wyndham of Boyne Island (the first European Occupant of Keppel Island in 1884); Mv C E Roe, of Miriam Vale (30 years' resident in the district) and My A Cowie (upward of 20 years in Rockhampton).