Missions, Reserves, Homes & Work In the 1880’s and 1890’s the few remaining Wiradjuri were either living in destitute situations usually on the fringes of towns, or in camps on stations where they were at least partially employed and/or lived a semi traditional life. In 1880 the Reverend John Gribble from Jerilderie, seeing the plight of the Wiradjuri, set up Warangesda Mission Station as a place where Aboriginal people could live in a way which was more acceptable to the white community, (109). Rev. Gribble travelled the region enticing Wiradjuri to come and live at the mission. Whilst he was successful in attracting a group from Cootamundra, it is not known at this time if this was the case for Wagga Wagga. Many descendents of Warangesda Mission residents, which closed in 1924, now reside in Wagga Wagga and throughout Wiradjuri Country. The establishment of the Aboriginal Protection Board in 1883 saw the setting up of many reserves and missions over the ensuing thirty years. One such mission was set up at Grong Grong in 1884, which had sporadic use until its closure in 1916, (110). Larger and more significant reserves were set up throughout Wiradjuri Country. One of these Aboriginal Reserves/Stations was based on the existing camp attached to a station at Brungle which had existed since at least the 1840’s. In 1887 Brungle had the second largest Aboriginal Reserve community in NSW with forty adults. Two reserves were formally set up at Brungle in 1890 and 1909. All but 31 acres of the old reserves were revoked in 1935 which in 1995 made up the Aboriginal housing area of Brungle Village, (110). Between 1909 and 1918 the Aboriginal Protection Act and its amendments gave the Board legal control over Aborigines on stations and reserves (but not on missions), (4). It was made illegal for “half castes” to live on reserves and it gave greater powers for the Board to remove children for training as domestic servants, (61). As a result, the Cootamundra Girls Training Home (Bimbadeen) was set up in 1912 and operated until 1969, (110). The dormitory housing of girls and women at Warangesda mission and preparation for employment in household duties was closed down in 1912 with the girls being transferred to Cootamundra. Over 800 Aboriginal girls (80 Wiradjuri) were taken from their homes between 1915 and 1969 to be trained as domestic servants. (1). Kabaila (1999) concludes that: “What began in the 1880’s for missionary John Gribble as a well intentioned, even heroic attempt to provide protection and shelter for “half caste” Aboriginal women and their children at Warangesda was soon turned by the NSW government at Cootamundra into a regimented training institution which was to play a vital role in policies of child removal and racial integration.” (3).
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