Cherbourg, Queensland
Encyclopedia
Cherbourg is a town in the South Burnett
region of Queensland
, Australia
. It is located off the Bunya Highway
approximately 250 kilometres (155 mi) north-west of Brisbane
and 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) from the town of Murgon
. It is situated very close to the dam wall of Bjelke-Petersen Dam
. Attractions in Cherbourg include the 'Bert Button Lookout' and 'Emu Farm Tours'. At the 2006 census
, Cherbourg had a population of 1,128.
The town, formerly known as Barambah, was founded as a settlement for Aborigines
in the early 1900s under a policy of segregation being pursued by the Government of Queensland
. Its history has been described in at least two books, Dumping Ground by Thom Blake and Is That You Ruthie? by Ruth Hegarty
.
negotiated for the establishment of the Barambah Aboriginal Reserve, which was gazetted over 7000 acres (2,832.8 ha) on 23 February 1901. It was initially populated with a few local Aborigines
, but others from the Esk
region were soon sent to the reserve. Many were forcibly removed from their homes and "settled" at Barambah which was later renamed 'Cherbourg'. Sometimes they were sent there as punishment for refusing to work on white-owned farms. People from 109 different areas were mixed together and they were not allowed to speak their own languages.
The reserve was administered by the Aboriginal Protection Society, Ipswich, until February 1905, when control passed to the Government of Queensland
and a Superintendent was appointed, who reported to the Chief Protector of Aborigines. On 8 December 1931 the settlement was renamed Cherbourg. From 1905 until 1939, in total 1587 Indigenous people were removed to the settlement from all across the state.
The settlement housed a reformatory school and training farm, a home training centre for girls, a hospital, dormitories
in which the women and children lived, and churches of various denominations. Training was provided in a variety of agricultural, industrial and domestic fields. People were hired out as cheap labour and at one stage they were not allowed to leave the reserve. In fact, until the referendum in 1967
, the indigenous people at Cherbourg were not even counted in the census.
The effect of mixing these different groups of people together and forcing them to speak English has been an almost total loss of their cultural heritage. Many of the languages are considered to be extinct, surviving only in notes and recordings stored at the University of Queensland
.
was granted to the Cherbourg community, giving this council official status. The Local Government (Community Government Areas) Act 2004 gave Cherbourg formal legal recognition as a local government.
Alcohol limits were imposed on Cherbourg residents in March 2009 in an attempt to reduce violence. Mayor Sam Murray claims the restrictions are not being enforced and the problem is being pushed underground. Early reports indicate that the bans have not reduced violent assaults in the town which are occurring 30 times more than the Queensland average.
scheme. Unemployment in the town is high as there is very little genuine work to be found in the town or in nearby Murgon
. Results from 2006 census survey reported 31.4% of the workforce was employed full-time while 49.5% worked part-time and 5.8% were unemployed. Nearby, the Silver Lining Foundation has established a training scheme for young people.
South Burnett
The South Burnett is a peanut growing and wine-producing region on the Great Dividing Range, north of the Darling Downs, in Queensland.-Towns:...
region of Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It is located off the Bunya Highway
Bunya Highway
The Bunya Highway is a 173 kilometre state highway of Queensland, Australia. It is a relatively short road, running approximately 170 kilometres in a south-westerly direction from Goomeri to Dalby. The highway connects the Warrego and Burnett Highways....
approximately 250 kilometres (155 mi) north-west of Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
and 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) from the town of Murgon
Murgon, Queensland
Murgon is a town in Queensland, Australia. It is situated on the Bunya Highway 270 kilometres north-west of the state capital, Brisbane.Murgon is in the region of Queensland known as the South Burnett, the southern part of the Burnett River catchment...
. It is situated very close to the dam wall of Bjelke-Petersen Dam
Bjelke-Petersen Dam
Construction of Bjelke-Petersen Dam near Cherbourg in Queensland, commenced in 1984 and finished in 1988. It created the lake that was named Lake Barambah after the original property in the region. The dam supplies water to the South Burnett region, mostly for irrigation purposes.The dam wall is ...
. Attractions in Cherbourg include the 'Bert Button Lookout' and 'Emu Farm Tours'. At the 2006 census
Census in Australia
The Australian census is administered once every five years by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The most recent census was conducted on 9 August 2011; the next will be conducted in 2016. Prior to the introduction of regular censuses in 1961, they had also been run in 1901, 1911, 1921, 1933,...
, Cherbourg had a population of 1,128.
The town, formerly known as Barambah, was founded as a settlement for Aborigines
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
in the early 1900s under a policy of segregation being pursued by the Government of Queensland
Government of Queensland
The Government of Queensland is commonly known as the "Queensland Government".The form of the Government of Queensland is prescribed in its Constitution, which dates from 1859, although it has been amended many times since then...
. Its history has been described in at least two books, Dumping Ground by Thom Blake and Is That You Ruthie? by Ruth Hegarty
Ruth Hegarty
Ruth Hegarty is an Aboriginal Elder and author.Hegarty is well known for her non-fiction novels that document her personal history as one of the Stolen Generation. Her first book, Is That You Ruthie?, is based on her experiences in the Cherbourg Aboriginal Mission where she lived until the age of...
.
History
In 1900, the Salvation ArmySalvation Army
The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
negotiated for the establishment of the Barambah Aboriginal Reserve, which was gazetted over 7000 acres (2,832.8 ha) on 23 February 1901. It was initially populated with a few local Aborigines
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
, but others from the Esk
Esk, Queensland
Esk is a town in the West Moreton region of South East Queensland, approximately 90 km northwest of Ipswich on the Brisbane Valley Highway. It was named after the River Esk in Scotland and England. It is the administrative centre of the Somerset Region...
region were soon sent to the reserve. Many were forcibly removed from their homes and "settled" at Barambah which was later renamed 'Cherbourg'. Sometimes they were sent there as punishment for refusing to work on white-owned farms. People from 109 different areas were mixed together and they were not allowed to speak their own languages.
The reserve was administered by the Aboriginal Protection Society, Ipswich, until February 1905, when control passed to the Government of Queensland
Government of Queensland
The Government of Queensland is commonly known as the "Queensland Government".The form of the Government of Queensland is prescribed in its Constitution, which dates from 1859, although it has been amended many times since then...
and a Superintendent was appointed, who reported to the Chief Protector of Aborigines. On 8 December 1931 the settlement was renamed Cherbourg. From 1905 until 1939, in total 1587 Indigenous people were removed to the settlement from all across the state.
The settlement housed a reformatory school and training farm, a home training centre for girls, a hospital, dormitories
Dormitory
A dormitory, often shortened to dorm, in the United States is a residence hall consisting of sleeping quarters or entire buildings primarily providing sleeping and residential quarters for large numbers of people, often boarding school, college or university students...
in which the women and children lived, and churches of various denominations. Training was provided in a variety of agricultural, industrial and domestic fields. People were hired out as cheap labour and at one stage they were not allowed to leave the reserve. In fact, until the referendum in 1967
Australian referendum, 1967 (Aboriginals)
The referendum of 27 May 1967 approved two amendments to the Australian constitution relating to Indigenous Australians. Technically it was a vote on the Constitution Alteration 1967, which became law on 10 August 1967 following the results of the referendum...
, the indigenous people at Cherbourg were not even counted in the census.
The effect of mixing these different groups of people together and forcing them to speak English has been an almost total loss of their cultural heritage. Many of the languages are considered to be extinct, surviving only in notes and recordings stored at the University of Queensland
University of Queensland
The University of Queensland, also known as UQ, is a public university located in state of Queensland, Australia. Founded in 1909, it is the oldest and largest university in Queensland and the fifth oldest in the nation...
.
Governance
Over the years, the policies towards Aboriginals changed from protection to assimilation and eventually participation and a measure of self-government with the passage of the Community Services (Aborigines) Act 1984. The Act provided for elected community councils who could make recommendations to the Minister for Community Services on matters relating to the progress, development and wellbeing of the people they represented. On 28 August 1986 a Deed of Grant in TrustDeed of Grant in Trust
A Deed of Grant in Trust is the name for a system of community-level land trust established in Queensland to administer former reserves and missions...
was granted to the Cherbourg community, giving this council official status. The Local Government (Community Government Areas) Act 2004 gave Cherbourg formal legal recognition as a local government.
Alcohol limits were imposed on Cherbourg residents in March 2009 in an attempt to reduce violence. Mayor Sam Murray claims the restrictions are not being enforced and the problem is being pushed underground. Early reports indicate that the bans have not reduced violent assaults in the town which are occurring 30 times more than the Queensland average.
Demographics
Cherbourg has a population of around 1241 persons, making it Queensland's third largest Aboriginal community. The town's main tribal groups are the 'Wakka Wakka' people and the 'Culidy' people. In 2006, median individual income for residents of Cherbourg was $227 per week, less than half the national median. 98.8% of housing in the town is stand-alone houses.Unemployment
The community participates in Work for the DoleWork for the dole
Work for the Dole is an Australian federal government program that is a form of workfare, work-based welfare. It was first permanently enacted in 1998, having been trialed in 1997....
scheme. Unemployment in the town is high as there is very little genuine work to be found in the town or in nearby Murgon
Murgon, Queensland
Murgon is a town in Queensland, Australia. It is situated on the Bunya Highway 270 kilometres north-west of the state capital, Brisbane.Murgon is in the region of Queensland known as the South Burnett, the southern part of the Burnett River catchment...
. Results from 2006 census survey reported 31.4% of the workforce was employed full-time while 49.5% worked part-time and 5.8% were unemployed. Nearby, the Silver Lining Foundation has established a training scheme for young people.
Notable former residents
- Maroochy BarambahMaroochy BarambahMaroochy Barambah is an Australian Aboriginal mezzo-soprano singer.She was born Yvette Isaacs in the 1950s in Cherbourg, Queensland. She is of the Turrbal-Gubbi Gubbi people and is a member of the Stolen Generations. She considers herself a beneficiary of her removal...
- opera singer - Harold BlairHarold BlairHarold Blair AM was an Australian tenor and Aboriginal activist.- Early life :Blair was born at the Cherbourg Aboriginal Reserve, 5 km from Murgon in Queensland. His mother was Esther Quinn, a teenage Aboriginal woman. His surname, Blair, came from the family that had "adopted" his mother...
– tenorTenorThe tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
and activist - Lionel FogartyLionel FogartyLionel Fogarty is an Indigenous Australian poet and political activist.He was born in 1958 at Barambah in Queensland where he grew up. He has been involved in Aboriginal activism from his teenage years, mainly in Southern Queensland on issues such as Land Rights, Aboriginal health and deaths in...
– poet and political activist - Eddie GilbertEddie Gilbert (cricketer)Eddie Gilbert was a Queensland Aboriginal cricketer. He was an exceptionally fast bowler.-Early years:...
– Australian cricket player (bowled Sir Donald Bradman out for a golden duck) - Ruth HegartyRuth HegartyRuth Hegarty is an Aboriginal Elder and author.Hegarty is well known for her non-fiction novels that document her personal history as one of the Stolen Generation. Her first book, Is That You Ruthie?, is based on her experiences in the Cherbourg Aboriginal Mission where she lived until the age of...
- award winning author - Chris SandowChris SandowChris Sandow is an Indigenous Australian professional rugby league player who previously played for the South Sydney Rabbitohs in the National Rugby League competition but from the 2012 NRL season, Sandow will play for the Parramatta Eels...
– NRL rugby league player - Chris SarraChris SarraChris Sarra is an Australian educationalist. Hailing from Bundaberg in Queensland and the youngest of ten children, Sarra experienced first-hand many of the issues faced by indigenous students....
- Indigenous educator - Steve RenoufSteve RenoufStephen Renouf is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer of the 1980s, 90s and 2000s. Of Aboriginal and European descent, he was known as one of the sport's greatest centres. Renouf set numerous records for the Brisbane Broncos club and is considered one of the greatest...
- Australian/Queensland/NRL rugby league player - Willie TongaWillie TongaWillie Tonga is an Australian professional rugby league footballer for the North Queensland Cowboys of the NRL...
– NRL rugby league player