PROJECT
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The Coranderrk story
In 1923, what few dispirited Indigenous people still lived on the once prosperous settlement at Coranderrk in Victoria were
bundled off to live on a reserve near Lake Tyers. The land they had so profitably tilled was sold to European farmers. The
Coranderrk venture had been such a success story for Indigenous people. What went so wrong?
The Coranderrk story
began in June 1860 when
the Victorian Government
set up a Central Board for
Aborigines. One of the
Board’s tasks was to create
protective reserves on
which Aboriginal people
could live. Coranderrk was
one of six set up, located
near present-day
Healesville.
Under the guidance of
John Green (a Boardappointed inspector), the
early Indigenous settlement
at Coranderrk flourished.
Over 30 houses were built
by 1874, as well as related
community buildings and
boundary fencing. A
European who visited the
reserve said the houses
were ‘superior to those of
many selectors in the
district’.
1
2
The reserve’s able-bodied
men cultivated the soil and
raised stock; the women
and older folk made rugs.
Sale of these rugs brought
cash into the reserve to
supplement money earned
by men working part time
on nearby properties.
Under the caring oversight
of Green, the community
demonstrated a seemingly
comfortable mix of
European and Indigenous
cultures and values.
By 1875, Coranderrk was
flourishing. It was virtually
self-sufficient, with a large
productive patch of land.
By this time, its community
had begun growing hops.
The people of Coranderrk
were enthusiastic workers
of considerable initiative.
Significantly, they also
produced hops of very high
quality, winning first prize
for their produce at the
Melbourne International
Exhibition.
3
4
© John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd 2004
2004-09-Coranderrk.pdf
(Page 1 of 3)
PROJECT
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As happens with many
success stories, envy began
to simmer in those
watching Coranderrk’s
success. The government
continued to refuse to give
the people title to the
reserve that they had
worked so hard to build up.
Neither did it allow them to
receive any profits from
their hop growing business.
Instead, it used the money
for its own purposes. Later,
the government itself took
the profits. Meanwhile,
nearby European farmers
watched the land’s growing
productivity.
Once the Board lost its
income from the Coranderrk
hop business, it decided the
reserve was too expensive to
maintain. So, in 1875, it
decided to sell it, and to sack
John Green (who opposed
the sale). The Indigenous
people fought back. They
held strikes, wrote letters,
met with journalists, and
sent deputations. Their
efforts were rewarded. A
Royal Commission was held
in 1877 and a Parliamentary
Inquiry in 1881. As a result,
the Board was told it must
continue to maintain the
reserve.
5
6
The Board did as it was
directed, but only halfheartedly. John Green had
always trusted and
encouraged the Indigenous
people, and had given them
a ‘free hand’ in what they
did. The Board bureaucrats
now overseeing Coranderrk
did not have the same vision
or understanding of the
needs and sensitivities of the
reserve’s occupants. The
former confidence and
enthusiasm of the
Indigenous people began to
wane.
Coranderrk had a high
proportion of young people of
mixed Indigenous–European
descent, which concerned many
Europeans. In 1886 the
Victorian Aborigines Act was
passed, making it unlawful for
people of mixed descent aged
under 34 years to live on
reserves. This forced most of the
ablest workers on the reserve to
leave. Faced with the 1890s
depression and racial prejudice,
many of these people became
destitute. Deprived of its best
labour, the reserve became run
down, and crops died. The stage
was set for its take-over.
7
8
© John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd 2004
2004-09-Coranderrk.pdf
(Page 2 of 3)
PROJECT
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Use the information in this worksheet and in the source listed as a Reference, to
complete the following activities.
1.
Describe, in general terms, the ways in which Indigenous people and the first European explorers first reacted to
each other.
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2.
Why was it so difficult for many Indigenous people to try to ‘fit in’ with the way Europeans lived? In what ways was
the Coranderrk community an exception to this?
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3.
What civil, economic and political rights did the Victorian Government and its agencies deny the Indigenous people
on the Coranderrk reserve? Why do you think this was done?
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4.
How successful were the Coranderrk people in fighting back? Think about both short-term and long-term successes.
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5.
What lessons does the Coranderrk story provide for Australians today as we work together towards reconciliation
between our country’s Indigenous and non-Indigenous people?
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6.
Imagine you were one of those Indigenous people who were moved to Lake Tyers in 1923. Prepare a three-minute
speech on what you might have said to someone who asked: ‘What happened at Coranderrk?’ Present your speech
for the class if asked.
Reference:
SOSE Alive 3, pp. 12–15 ▪ SOSE Alive History 2, pp. 12–15
© John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd 2004
2004-09-Coranderrk.pdf
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