e26, 1986 JU,y3
LOCATION: 26 John St, Perth, (off Fitzgerald St) POST ADDRESS PO Box 50 Perth Aberdeen St WA, 6000
TELEPHONE: (09) 328 1388
Phyllis and Tess are a couple of characters who have turned their particular vocations as Priests' housekeepers, into 'joyous activities,' associating their work with fun and laughs with those around them. Loyal and 'true blue' to 'their boys', they've succeeded in transforming work into pleasure by using their great sense of humour to lighten the load and shine up the day for their busy menfolk. They tell how it's tough and hard demanding work for oar priests but with a little consideration (or actually a lot more!) and compassionate thoughtfulness, we could spin out their lives a bit longer. See story pages 10and11.
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More than $1 million im rovement Although the written
down value of the free-
hold property handed over to the Southern Aboriginal Corporation on Tuesday is some several hundred thousand dollars, it is estimated that the archd ocese of Perth has put more than $1 million of improvements into the property in 43
years
In 1946 a number of small farm holdings totalling some 535 ha (1200 acres) were purchased freedhold by the rchdio-
cese of Perth.
The mission also took over a 208 ha (500 acre)
The handover of freehold property and the transfer of a lease at the St Francis Xavier Wandering mission was the crowning glory of a vision that started 43 years ago, Archbishop Foley said at the handover ceremony on Tuesday. 'This is the day when the Aboriginal people themselves take command of their future and that of their young people and reach out to new opportunities now available and the new insight now accepted as part of society.
site that we granted specifically for the Aborig inal mission and on which substantial build-
"It is an historic occasion giving hope to us all and the Aboriginal people in particular, who can see themselves responsible for their own young people and accept responsibility to give them a future in the South-West."
ings were constructed
In 1944 an adjacent
3700 ha (9140 acre) property was leased for 99 years for the benefit of Aboriginal people. This passed in 1978 into the hands of the Aboriginal Land Trust and on Tues day the archdiocese surrendered the remainder of the lease which has now been handed back to the Southern Aboriginal Council The handover on Tuesday was the result of an offer made by Archbishop Goody in July 1982 to the Nyoongah Catholic Com
The occasion was one of hope, he said, because the Southern Aboriginal Council which had taken over the property had strong links with 12 organisations in the towns of the South-West and could understand the Aborigines' needs. "It gives up special hope also because for many Aborigines is in some special way theirs, because they lived and studied here, because they visited here to see their children or relatives
Final chapter
muninty during Mass at Embleton
Archbishop Goody said: "I suppose one should put one's money or action where one's mouth is. We have all heard about land rights for Aboriginal people and on this most
people of good will will say
Yes.' But what are they exactly? "At June, 1981, some 20.8 million hectares (51.5 million
acres) not all of it by any
means good land were held by the Aboriginal lands Trust
either as reserves, leases or freehold." He said that by companson the Catholic Church owned very little land most of it in five and ten acre properties for the parishes and schools throughout the state "The priests, brothers, nuns and laity in this archdiocese have worked on this property for the past 35 years for the benefit of Aboriginal people by educating their children."
Cont page 2
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The chairman of the Southern Aboriginal Corporation, Mr Les Eades with Archbishop Foley ad Honorary Minister, Mr Ernie Bridge with the Aboriginal woodcarving of a map of Australia presented to the archbishop return for the land transfer deeds.
The archbishop said the handover ceremony was a final chapter in a story that began with Archbishop Prendiville's concern in the 1940s for the "sad state of affairs" of Aborigines at that time and his hope to give children, many of them on the reserves, a new educational and social opportunity for their adult life. He sought help from Bishop Raible of Broome to obtain Pallottine priests and brothers, joined later by the Sisters of St John of God, then the Ursulines and then the Schoenstatt Sisters. Progressively the care of the children passed over into a cottage system where brothers and sisters would not be separated, until 1977 when it was felt institutional care was seen as "second best" and Centrecare Aboriginal cottages were established in Pingelly, Beverley, Brookton and Northam, recognising new insights into the care of children, especially Aborigines. The new Wandering venture, Archbishop Foley said, would give lead to self development, a growth in self-esteem and an acceptance of self responsibility.