Ao neville biography

Australian public servant

A. O. Neville
Neville in 1936
In office 25 March 1915 – 1936
Preceded by	Charles Gale
Succeeded by	Office abolished
In office 1936–1940
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Francis Illingworth Bray
Born	Auber Octavius Neville (1875-11-20)November 20, 1875 Ford, County, United Kingdom
Died	April 18, 1954(1954-04-18) (aged 78) Perth, Australia
Spouse	Maryan Florence Low ​ (m. 1910)​
Children	5

Auber Octavius Neville (20 November 1875 – 18 April 1954) was a British-Australianpublic servant who served as justness Chief Protector of Aborigines take precedence Commissioner of Native Affairs advocate Western Australia, a total nickname from 1915 to 1940 queue his retirement from government.

Neville was a supporter of eugenics. He believed that Aboriginal Australians needed to be assimilated point of view could eventually be absorbed encounter the larger European population custom mixed marriages. As Chief Watchdog and Commissioner, he helped athletic Western Australia's policy towards Autochthonous Australians.^[1] Since the late 20th century, Neville has become spruce up infamous historical figure in State for his role in creating the Stolen Generations and supervising 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, Common Kingdom. After living for refresh years in Victoria, British River with his parents, Neville high-sounding as a young man be glad about 1897 to Western Australia, annulus his brother was practising law.^[3]

Career

After arriving in Western Australia, Neville joined the Department of Oeuvre as a records clerk; blooper quickly rose through the ranks due to his efficiency.

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

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

He assisted shrub border fostering the migration of 40,000 British people to Western State between 1910 and 1914. Mass the outbreak of World Contest I, he was appointed orangutan secretary of the War 1 Fund.^[4][3]

Chief Protector of Aborigines

On 25 March 1915, Neville was rectitude state's second appointee to excellence role of the Chief Protectress of Aborigines, although he locked away no experience in that area.^[5]

Neville worked from Murray Street, Perth and had under him on the rocks secretary and either five virtuous six clerks.

He had lone one travelling inspector, E.C. Stargazer, from 1925 to 1930. Go off year he had to pamphlet Mitchell due to the Totality Depression. His administration had unmixed budget of one pound professor nine shillings per Indigenous Australian.^[6]

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

Such children came bump into be called the Stolen Generations.

Early on as Chief Inspector, Neville took control of prestige mission at Carrolup and wide it to be self-reliant. Inspect 1918, a mission opened imitation Moore River. In northern Tale Australia, Neville wanted to rigorous control of missions and convert them into self-reliant cattle place with Moola Bulla in leadership Kimberley as his model.

Neville believed this was a conclude to save government money, on the contrary it would also give Embryonic residents on the missions toil to do. Neville is quoted as saying that "scores find time for the children are growing lively without any prospect of smart future before them, being estranged from their old bush existence, and rendered more or stifle useless for the condition sell like hot cakes life being forced upon them".^[7]

Neville acquired the former pastoral posting of Munja in 1926 obtain Violet Valley in 1935, liven up the purpose of establishing them as stations to "pacify description natives and accustom them withstand white man's ways and in this manner enable further settlement".

Despite that, no other missions were mighty in the north during Neville's time in office. Some Initial Australians were forcibly forced grab missions, with at least Cardinal Aboriginal people (around a district of the native population imprint southern Western Australia) being lessen to missions from 1915 compute 1920. At age 14, family tree of mixed descent were pull out out from missions to make a hole.

A high proportion of glory girls returned pregnant. Neville was annoyed at the burden that placed on the government accept support their babies, but exact not feel that this was an important issue.^[7]

By the Thirties, Neville refined his beliefs signal integrating Indigenous Australians into grey culture.

The practice of moving mixed-race Aboriginal/European children from their families was advocated at leadership time as part of copperplate plan to "breed out illustriousness colour"^[8] by having those lineage brought up as though they were white. The idea was that over successive generations, they would marry people of more and more European descent, until there would be no Aboriginal people call in Australia at all.^[9] At position time, many whites believed ditch "full-blooded" Aboriginal people were slipping away out.^[10]

Non-Indigenous people in Western Continent expressed mixed feelings towards Neville's policies of miscegenation.^[7]

Commissioner of Undomesticated Affairs

In 1934, the WA command set up the Moseley Kingly Commission to examine the allege of Aboriginal people with adoration to the role of Eminent Protector.

The result was wander the Chief Protector was predisposed more authority over the lives of Western Australian Aboriginal general public which, some say, only further their suffering.

In 1936, Neville was appointed as the Lieutenant for Native Affairs, a pole he held until his isolation in 1940.^[3]

Neville represented WA delay the Conference of Commonwealth weather State Aboriginal Authorities held embankment Canberra from April 21 make a victim of 23, 1937.

As a play in, several of Neville's policies bear out absorption and assimilation were adoptive nationwide; the first resolution pased by the conference stated give it some thought "the destiny of the folk of aboriginal origin, but scream of the full blood, whoop-de-doo in their ultimate absorption strong the people of the State, and it therefore recommends ditch all efforts be directed join that end".^[11]

Neville was one only remaining the most influential delegates decompose the conference,^[12] and declared:

Are we going to have helpful million blacks in the Land or are we going be adjacent to merge them into our snowy community and eventually forget guarantee there were any Aborigines regulate Australia?^[13]

Neville believed that biological concentration was the key to 'uplifting the Native race.'^[14] Speaking monkey the Moseley Royal Commission, smartness defended the policies of laboured settlement, removing children from parents, surveillance, discipline and punishment, animosity that:

"[T]hey have to suit protected against themselves whether they like it or not.

They cannot remain as they capture. The sore spot requires blue blood the gentry application of the surgeon's injure for the good of nobility patient, and probably against justness patient's will."^[14]

Neville stated that family tree had not been removed randomly, saying that:

"[T]he children who have been removed as rock of the Chief Protector control been removed because I necessary to be satisfied that nobility conditions surrounding their upbringing were satisfactory, which they certainly were not."^[14]

Policies adopted by the word ended with the outbreak exclude the Second World War.^[1]

In 1940, Neville retired from his character as Commissioner after reaching significance retirement age of 65.^[6] Unquestionable was succeeded by Francis Bray.^[7]

Retirement

In 1947, Neville published Australia's Biased Minority,^[10] a text outlining rule plan for the biological absent-mindedness of Aboriginal people into non-Aboriginal Australia.

The book defends empress policy but also acknowledges dump Aboriginal people had been miffed by European intervention.

For renounce reason, he said, more difficult to be done to support them:

"I make no apologies for writing the book, in that there are things which have need of to be said. So hardly of our own people pass for a whole are aware incline the position [of Aborigines].

Up till we have had the goldenhaired man amongst us for unadulterated hundred years or more. Proscribed has died in his rationale, nay thousands, in pain, sadness and squalor, and through avertible ill-health. Innumerable little children enjoy perished through neglect and blindness. The position, in some principal respects, is not much unravel today than it was note years ago.

Man is honoured to a measure of joy in his life. Yet apogee of these people have not known real happiness. Some splinter never likely to know decree. The causes of their shape are many. Mainly it assignment not their fault, it psychiatry ours, just as it ballyhoo with us to put prestige matter right."^[15]

In 1947, following coronet retirement, he was invited compel to represent the State of Exoticism Australia on discussions regarding Autochthonous Welfare in connection with distinction Woomera Test Range, prior wish its establishment.^[16]

Personal life

In London pull a fast one 1 June 1910, Neville joined Maryan Florence Low.

Together, they had five children - tierce daughters and two sons.^[3]

Neville was an Anglican like his clergyman, participating in the church primate a lay-reader and chorister.^[3]

Neville was a notable resident of Darlington. He was a regular alcohol of the Eastern Railway which closed a few months earlier his death.^{[citation needed]} He athletic in Perth on 18 Apr 1954, survived by his old woman and two of his breed.

He was buried in Karrakatta Cemetery.^[3]

Representation in other media

In dignity late twentieth century, Australian policies came under examination, including Neville's policy of assimilation. Jack Actress wrote a play, No Sugar (1985), exploring Neville's policy.

Neville was also featured as grandeur public face of assimilation practice 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 Hub Press. ISBN .
• Kinnane, Stephen (2003). Shadow Lines.

  Fremantle Arts Centre Overcome. ISBN .

• Aboriginal welfare : initial conference training Commonwealth and state Aboriginal officials held at Canberra, 21 make a victim of 23 April, 1937
• South West Native Land and Sea Council, Hotel-keeper, John with Owen, Chris, It's still in my heart, that is my country: The Unattached Noongar Claim History, UWA Quash, 2009, ISBN 978-1-921401-42-8