Framlingham, Victoria
Encyclopedia
Framlingham was an Aboriginal reserve established by the Board for the Protection of Aborigines in Victoria
, Australia
in 1861. It was located beside the Hopkins River
in the territory of the Girai wurrung
near the boundary with the Gunditjmara
, not to far from Warrnambool
on the south-west coast of the state. The reserve operated until it was closed in 1916, with the aboriginal community continuing to the present.
The Church of England in Warnambool formed the Anglican mission
in 1861 which requested establishment of the Framlingham Aboriginal Reserve. The reserve was occupied in 1865 by many of the surviving members of the Girai wurrung
along with surviving Djargurd Wurrung
who were forcibly relocated and Gunditjmara from Warrnambool. Gunditjmara
from Portland and Lake Condah refused to settle at Framlingham leading to the establishment of Lake Condah reserve in 1869.
In 1867 the reserve was closed by the Central Board appointed by the Government of Victoria
and attempts were made to relocate the residents to Lake Condah Mission but in September 1868 the Girai wurrung successfully won the re-establishment of the reserve. Residents of Warrnambool campaigned from 1877 to 1890 to close the reserve and turn it into an experimental agricultural farm, and in 1894 the reserve was reduced to 222 hectares (2.2 km²) and the majority of the land given to the Council of Agricultural Education. However the agricultural farm pans never eventuated with this land becoming the Framlingham Forest.
In 1916 the Government of Victoria
decided to concentrate Victorian aborigines at Lake Tyers in Gippsland. The reserve was closed but some residents were allowed to remain with the community being granted ownership in 1971 of the 237 hectares (2.4 km²) they held at that time.
When Framlingham was established, it was declared to be 3500 acres (14.2 km²) in area, although its actual size may have been closer to 4400 acres (17.8 km²). As parts of the reserve were sold to private landowners, its size diminished, until only the 586 acres (2.4 km²) remained when it was closed in 1971. Some of this land was also set aside as a State Forest.
In 1957 the Board for the Protection of Aborigines was abolished, and in 1970 the Aboriginal Lands Act 1970 was passed by the Parliament of Victoria
. Under the provisions of that act, ownership of Framlingham was handed over to a trust held by Aboriginal residents of the site on 1 July 1971. Along with Lake Tyers, in the eastern Gippsland
region of the state, Framlingham was the last reserve to close in Victoria.
In 1976 the Framlingham community began a campaign to regain rights to the Framlingham Forest that had been excised from the original 1861 reserve in 1894. In April 1979 the community blockaded the road to the forest picnic ground. The Victorian Government proposed allowing aboriginal management of the forest in 1980 but it would remain as crown land. The proposal was
rejected by the community who resumed the blockade.
In 1987, the Victorian Labor
government under John Cain
attempted to grant some of the Framlingham State Forest to the trust as inalienable title, however the legislation was blocked by the Liberal Party
opposition in the Legislative Council. However, the federal Labor government under Bob Hawke
intervened, passing the Aboriginal Land Act 1987, which gave 1130 acres (4.6 km²) of the Framlingham forest to the Framlingham trust. Although the title is essentially inalienable, in that it can only be transferred to another Indigenous land trust, the Framlingham trust has no rights to prevent mining on the land, unlike trusts or communities holding native title
.
started here and swept through the district killing nine people, destroying many homes, farm buildings and livestock. The cause was believed to be poorly maintained power lines.
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, 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...
in 1861. It was located beside the Hopkins River
Hopkins River
The Hopkins River is a river in southwestern Victoria, Australia. It begins near Ararat, and enters Bass Strait at Warrnambool. It is one of two rivers flowing through Warrnambool, the other is the Merri River....
in the territory of the Girai wurrung
Girai wurrung
The Girai wurrung are Indigenous Australian people who traditionally occupied the territory between Mount Emu Creek and the Hopkins River up to Mount Hamilton, and the Western Otways from the Gellibrand River to the Hopkins River...
near the boundary with the Gunditjmara
Gunditjmara
Gunditjmara, or Gundidj for short, are an Indigenous Australian group from western Victoria . Their neighbours to the west were the Buandig people, to the north the Jardwadjali and Djab wurrung peoples, and in the east the Girai wurrung people.The name may also be spelt Gournditch-Mara...
, not to far from Warrnambool
Warrnambool, Victoria
-Cityscape:The original City of Warrnambool was a 4x8 grid, with boundaries of Lava Street , Japan Street , Merri Street and Henna Street . In the nineteenth century, it was intended that Fairy Street – with its proximity to the Warrnambool Railway Station – would be the main street of...
on the south-west coast of the state. The reserve operated until it was closed in 1916, with the aboriginal community continuing to the present.
The Church of England in Warnambool formed the Anglican mission
Mission (Christian)
Christian missionary activities often involve sending individuals and groups , to foreign countries and to places in their own homeland. This has frequently involved not only evangelization , but also humanitarian work, especially among the poor and disadvantaged...
in 1861 which requested establishment of the Framlingham Aboriginal Reserve. The reserve was occupied in 1865 by many of the surviving members of the Girai wurrung
Girai wurrung
The Girai wurrung are Indigenous Australian people who traditionally occupied the territory between Mount Emu Creek and the Hopkins River up to Mount Hamilton, and the Western Otways from the Gellibrand River to the Hopkins River...
along with surviving Djargurd Wurrung
Djargurd Wurrung
The Djargurd wurrung are Indigenous Australian people who traditionally occupied the territory between Mount Emu Creek and Lake Corangamite, extending to Mount Emu and Cressy in the North, and to Cobden and Swan Marsh in the South in central Victoria and are still represented in the region. The...
who were forcibly relocated and Gunditjmara from Warrnambool. Gunditjmara
Gunditjmara
Gunditjmara, or Gundidj for short, are an Indigenous Australian group from western Victoria . Their neighbours to the west were the Buandig people, to the north the Jardwadjali and Djab wurrung peoples, and in the east the Girai wurrung people.The name may also be spelt Gournditch-Mara...
from Portland and Lake Condah refused to settle at Framlingham leading to the establishment of Lake Condah reserve in 1869.
In 1867 the reserve was closed by the Central Board appointed by the Government of Victoria
Government of Victoria
The Government of Victoria, under the Constitution of Australia, ceded certain legislative and judicial powers to the Commonwealth, but retained complete independence in all other areas...
and attempts were made to relocate the residents to Lake Condah Mission but in September 1868 the Girai wurrung successfully won the re-establishment of the reserve. Residents of Warrnambool campaigned from 1877 to 1890 to close the reserve and turn it into an experimental agricultural farm, and in 1894 the reserve was reduced to 222 hectares (2.2 km²) and the majority of the land given to the Council of Agricultural Education. However the agricultural farm pans never eventuated with this land becoming the Framlingham Forest.
In 1916 the Government of Victoria
Government of Victoria
The Government of Victoria, under the Constitution of Australia, ceded certain legislative and judicial powers to the Commonwealth, but retained complete independence in all other areas...
decided to concentrate Victorian aborigines at Lake Tyers in Gippsland. The reserve was closed but some residents were allowed to remain with the community being granted ownership in 1971 of the 237 hectares (2.4 km²) they held at that time.
When Framlingham was established, it was declared to be 3500 acres (14.2 km²) in area, although its actual size may have been closer to 4400 acres (17.8 km²). As parts of the reserve were sold to private landowners, its size diminished, until only the 586 acres (2.4 km²) remained when it was closed in 1971. Some of this land was also set aside as a State Forest.
In 1957 the Board for the Protection of Aborigines was abolished, and in 1970 the Aboriginal Lands Act 1970 was passed by the Parliament of Victoria
Parliament of Victoria
The Parliament of Victoria is the bicameral legislature of the Australian state of Victoria. It follows a Westminster-derived parliamentary system and consists of The Queen, represented by the Governor of Victoria; the Legislative Council ; and the Legislative Assembly...
. Under the provisions of that act, ownership of Framlingham was handed over to a trust held by Aboriginal residents of the site on 1 July 1971. Along with Lake Tyers, in the eastern Gippsland
Gippsland
Gippsland is a large rural region in Victoria, Australia. It begins immediately east of the suburbs of Melbourne and stretches to the New South Wales border, lying between the Great Dividing Range to the north and Bass Strait to the south...
region of the state, Framlingham was the last reserve to close in Victoria.
In 1976 the Framlingham community began a campaign to regain rights to the Framlingham Forest that had been excised from the original 1861 reserve in 1894. In April 1979 the community blockaded the road to the forest picnic ground. The Victorian Government proposed allowing aboriginal management of the forest in 1980 but it would remain as crown land. The proposal was
rejected by the community who resumed the blockade.
In 1987, the Victorian Labor
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
government under John Cain
John Cain II
John Cain , Australian Labor Party politician, was the 41st Premier of Victoria, holding office from 1982 to 1990.-Biography:...
attempted to grant some of the Framlingham State Forest to the trust as inalienable title, however the legislation was blocked by the Liberal Party
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
opposition in the Legislative Council. However, the federal Labor government under Bob Hawke
Bob Hawke
Robert James Lee "Bob" Hawke AC GCL was the 23rd Prime Minister of Australia from March 1983 to December 1991 and therefore longest serving Australian Labor Party Prime Minister....
intervened, passing the Aboriginal Land Act 1987, which gave 1130 acres (4.6 km²) of the Framlingham forest to the Framlingham trust. Although the title is essentially inalienable, in that it can only be transferred to another Indigenous land trust, the Framlingham trust has no rights to prevent mining on the land, unlike trusts or communities holding native title
Native title
Native title is the Australian version of the common law doctrine of aboriginal title.Native title is "the recognition by Australian law that some Indigenous people have rights and interests to their land that come from their traditional laws and customs"...
.
Ash Wednesday
On 16 February 1983, one of the Ash Wednesday firesAsh Wednesday fires
The Ash Wednesday bushfires, known in South Australia as Ash Wednesday II, were a series of bushfires that occurred in south-eastern Australia on 16 February 1983. Within twelve hours, more than 180 fires fanned by winds of up to 110 km per hour caused widespread destruction across the states...
started here and swept through the district killing nine people, destroying many homes, farm buildings and livestock. The cause was believed to be poorly maintained power lines.