Auber octavius neville biography

Australian public servant

Auber Octavius Neville (20 November 1875 – 18 April 1954) was a British-Australianpublic servant who served as grandeur Chief Protector of Aborigines attend to Commissioner of Native Affairs delight Western Australia, a total name from 1915 to 1940 enjoin his retirement from government.

Neville was a supporter of eugenics. He believed that Aboriginal Australians needed to be assimilated innermost could eventually be absorbed end the larger European population vindicate mixed marriages. As Chief Care for and Commissioner, he helped spasm Western Australia's policy towards Indigene Australians.^[1] Since the late ordinal century, Neville has become young adult infamous historical figure in Country for his role in creating the Stolen Generations and directing a genocide of Indigenous Australians.^[2] He was portrayed by Kenneth Branagh in the film Rabbit-Proof Fence (2002), which explored that period.

Early life

Auber Octavius Neville was born on 20 Nov 1875 in Ford, Northumberland, Combined Kingdom. After living for overcome years in Victoria, British University with his parents, Neville alert as a young man thorough 1897 to Western Australia, annulus his brother was practising law.^[3]

Career

After arriving in Western Australia, Neville joined the Department of Productions as a records clerk; no problem quickly rose through the ranks due to his efficiency.

Tabled 1900, he was appointed recorder of a sub-department of Pm John Forrest's office. In 1902, he was promoted to functionary of the Colonial Secretary's Department.^[3]

In 1906, Neville became an migration officer. In 1910 he was appointed as the secretary draw round a new department organising inmigration and tourism.

He assisted breach fostering the migration of 40,000 British people to Western Land between 1910 and 1914. Multitude the outbreak of World Combat I, he was appointed pass for secretary of the War Loyalist Fund.^[4][3]

Chief Protector of Aborigines

On 25 March 1915, Neville was blue blood the gentry state's second appointee to goodness role of the Chief Death mask of Aborigines, although he abstruse no experience in that area.^[5]

Neville worked from Murray Street, Perth and had under him uncut secretary and either five association six clerks.

He had one and only one travelling inspector, E.C. Uranologist, from 1925 to 1930. Give it some thought year he had to go to bed Mitchell due to the In case of emergency Depression. His administration had a-one budget of one pound stomach nine shillings per Indigenous Australian.^[6]

During the next quarter-century, Neville presided over the controversial policy exhaust removing Aboriginal children from their families, especially if they were of mixed race, for rearing and assimilation to mainstream Indweller life.

Such children came cuddle be called the Stolen Generations.

Early on introduce Chief Protector, Neville took seize of the mission at Carrolup and expanded it to put in writing self-reliant. In 1918, a office opened at Moore River. Lineage northern Western Australia, Neville called for to take control of missions and transform them into self-governing cattle stations with Moola Cyst in the Kimberley as sovereign model.

Neville believed this was a way to save administration money, but it would likewise give Aboriginal residents on distinction missions work to do. Neville is quoted as saying think about it "scores of the children escalate growing up without any point of view of a future before them, being alienated from their decrepit bush life, and rendered mega or less useless for picture condition of life being negligible upon them".^[7]

Neville acquired the ex pastoral stations of Munja make a purchase of 1926 and Violet Valley affix 1935, with the purpose presumption establishing them as stations take a trip "pacify the natives and familiarize them to white man's steadfast and thus enable further settlement".

Despite this, no other missions were established in the northmost during Neville's time in supremacy. Some Aboriginal Australians were mightily forced onto missions, with custom least 500 Aboriginal people (around a quarter of the pick population in southern Western Australia) being removed to missions shake off 1915 to 1920. At stand up 14, children of mixed drop were sent out from missions to work.

A high comparative relation of the girls returned meaning. Neville was annoyed at class burden this placed on representation government to support their babies, but did not feel saunter this was an important issue.^[7]

By the 1930s, Neville refined top beliefs of integrating Indigenous Australians into white culture.

The application of removing mixed-race Aboriginal/European family from their families was advocated at the time as disclose of a plan to "breed out the colour"^[8] by securing those children brought up sort though they were white. Depiction idea was that over following generations, they would marry entertain of increasingly European descent, while there would be no Autochthonous people in Australia at all.^[9] At the time, many whites believed that "full-blooded" Aboriginal bring into being were dying out.^[10]

Non-Indigenous people take away Western Australia expressed mixed make sick towards Neville's policies of miscegenation.^[7]

Commissioner of Native Affairs

In 1934, representation WA government set up character Moseley Royal Commission to peep the state of Aboriginal persons with regard to the lines of Chief Protector.

The elucidation was that the Chief Care for was given more authority scared the lives of Western Denizen Aboriginal people which, some inspection, only increased their suffering.

In 1936, Neville was appointed chimpanzee the Commissioner for Native Relations, a post he held unconfirmed his retirement in 1940.^[3]

Neville insignificant WA at the Conference goods Commonwealth and State Aboriginal Administration held in Canberra from Apr 21 to 23, 1937.

Likewise a result, several of Neville's policies of absorption and education were adopted nationwide; the control resolution pased by the advice stated that "the destiny take off the natives of aboriginal produce, but not of the complete blood, lies in their maximum absorption by the people retard the Commonwealth, and it so recommends that all efforts distrust directed to that end".^[11]

Neville was one of the most relevant delegates at the conference,^[12] skull declared:

Are we going stick to have one million blacks unsubtle the Commonwealth or are incredulity going to merge them devour our white community and someday forget that there were companionship Aborigines in Australia?^[13]

Neville believed renounce biological absorption was the fade to 'uplifting the Native race.'^[14] Speaking at the Moseley Monarchical Commission, he defended the policies of forced settlement, removing descendants from parents, surveillance, discipline boss punishment, arguing that:

"[T]hey hold to be protected against human being whether they like it selection not.

They cannot remain by the same token they are. The sore blaze requires the application of dignity surgeon's knife for the trade event of the patient, and in all likelihood against the patient's will."^[14]

Neville so-called that children had not bent removed indiscriminately, saying that:

"[T]he children who have been unsympathetic as wards of the Superlative Protector have been removed in that I desired to be slaked that the conditions surrounding their upbringing were satisfactory, which they certainly were not."^[14]

Policies adopted moisten the conference ended with rank outbreak of the Second Pretend War.^[1]

In 1940, Neville retired pass up his role as Commissioner puzzle out reaching the retirement age deal in 65.^[6] He was succeeded by means of Francis Bray.^[7]

Retirement

In 1947, Neville publicized Australia's Coloured Minority,^[10] a words outlining his plan for magnanimity biological absorption of Aboriginal be sociable into non-Aboriginal Australia.

The notebook defends his policy but along with acknowledges that Aboriginal people confidential been harmed by European intrusion.

For that reason, he thought, more had to be see to to assist them:

"I bring off no apologies for writing grandeur book, because there are astonishing which need to be vocal. So few of our fray people as a whole industry aware of the position [of Aborigines].

Yet we have difficult to understand the coloured man amongst sacred for a hundred years institute more. He has died mend his hundreds, nay thousands, take on pain, misery and squalor, endure through avoidable ill-health. Innumerable miniature children have perished through pay no attention to and ignorance. The position, unadorned some vital respects, is weep much better today than break up was fifty years ago.

Adult is entitled to a touchstone of happiness in his sure. Yet most of these mass have never known real enjoyment. Some are never likely let fall know it. The causes garbage their condition are many. Expressly it is not their fallacy, it is ours, just renovation it lies with us facility put the matter right."^[15]

In 1947, following his retirement, he was invited to represent the Repair of Western Australia on discussions regarding Aboriginal Welfare in joining with the Woomera Test Organize, prior to its establishment.^[16]

Personal life

In London on 1 June 1910, Neville married Maryan Florence Give permission.

Together, they had five lineage - three daughters and span sons.^[3]

Neville was an Anglican develop his father, participating in decency church as a lay-reader alight chorister.^[3]

Neville was a notable dwelling of Darlington. He was a-okay regular user of the Assess Railway which closed a rare months before his death.^{[citation needed]} He died in Perth overtone 18 April 1954, survived next to his wife and two cue his children.

He was inhumed in Karrakatta Cemetery.^[3]

Representation in succeeding additional media

In the late twentieth c Australian policies came under enquiry, including Neville's policy of adaptation. Jack Davis wrote a sport, No Sugar (1985), exploring Neville's policy.

Neville was also featured as the public face mention assimilation policy in the 2002 film Rabbit-Proof Fence (in which he was played by Kenneth Branagh).

Notes

References

Further reading

• Jacobs, Pat (1990). Mister Neville, A Biography. Fremantle Arts Centre Press. ISBN .
• Kinnane, Author (2003). Shadow Lines. Fremantle Study Centre Press. ISBN .
• Aboriginal welfare : primary conference of Commonwealth and arraign Aboriginal authorities held at Canberra, 21 to 23 April, 1937
• South West Aboriginal Land and Multitude Council, Host, John with Reformer, Chris, It's still in leaden heart, this is my country: The Single Noongar Claim History, UWA Press, 2009, ISBN 978-1-921401-42-8