Bogabilla

1965

Bogabilla

http://aiatsis.gov.au/explore/articles/1965-freedom-ride

We were awake and out of Moree by 9:30 Thursday morning and arrived in Bogabilla at 15 past 12 and ate in the nearby beer garden which was covered by grape vines. After we were finished there we met up with the manager at the reserve, we later establish that he was a real snake. We went around and spoke to a lot of people. The majority of them told us that the manager had told them not to answer any of our questions, but they did anyway. The people in this town are the chattiest and the most approachable so far. The houses we stayed in were very crowded. There was no clean water but the taps were connected up to the river so we still had access to water no matter how hygienic. No gas or electricity, which we expected because of the “warm welcome”, we got from the manager. Some of the local aborigines told us some stories about the coppas around here. Like how they come into their houses whenever they like to see who had been drinking and how they do whatever they like to the women. I am quite disgusted by this it is horrible the way the aboriginals were treated. We found out that the children go to their own school, which was good news, but then we were told that not many kids make it past sixth grade. Most of the girls become domestics and from what I have heard the working environments are repulsive. The men are usually shearers and the men I spoke to all seem to agree that the working conditions could be worse. There is one thing we can all agree on though and that is that everyone would much rather live in town then on the reserve.   

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