Our (not) Proud History -> Wakka Wakka Nation History
Presentation by Du Dunam (Glenn Kelly)
Cherbourg
Established as Barambah Settlement in 1902 and occupied by up to 41 different tribes living together – to foment trouble? It was a place of forced labour with the money earnt retained by the authorities, written permission required to leave or marry, and ‘neglected’ children kept separately in dormitories with no beds, a strict schedule, severe punishment and no contact with the men and women.
There was gradual improvement with market garden and animal farming, abattoirs, forestry and timber-milling but all those jobs were replaced by the dole. In the fifties houses were built and power connected and the people became renters – their landlord the Australian government. The Wakka Wakka Nation intends to correct this wrong.
