The name is absent

55

wife, a teacher∕linguist, worked with school-age girls in the
morning and adults in the afternoon, A third member of staff
worked with pre-school children.

The staff interacts with the philosophy of the Mob, which is
clearly articulated. This philosophy, formulated by the group, is
communicated to white staff in a general way in the terms of
employment, and in a particular way where this is seen as appropriate.

Both schools have had Aboriginal staff teaching pre-school
children and teaching the vernacular to adults and pre-school children.

5.2 Pt. Augusta

Pt. Augusta was chosen as a place at a crossroads, both geographic
and cultural-. There is movement backwards and forwards between
Aboriginal people from the north and west of South Australia and
the people of Pt. Augusta.

Pt. Augusta is considered to be a racist town by Aborigines
and non-Aborigines alike. The editor of the local newspaper
regularly publishes articles of a racist nature. The attitude of the
townspeople was such that it was not until 1968 that the first
Aboriginal fam Ty was admitted to the town to live (Gaskell, 1980:7).
Aborigines were segregated on a reserve several miles outside the town.

5.21 History of the mission∕schooling

Miss Merle Cantie, a missionary to the Pt. Augusta Aborigines
from 1942, in a popular history of the mission, The Umecwarra Story,
relates that

The Aboriginal children were neglected and not welcome
at the Pt. Augusta school but public opinion was stirred
and in 1937 a portable classroom was erected
in the vicinity of the camp and a subsidised teacher

See Figure 2.

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