Rio Tinto | Minerals and Metals for the world

The culmination of five years of consultation with the Western Cape York communities and the Queensland Government, the WCCCA recognizes the Native Title rights of Traditional Owners, and commits Comalco to supporting sustainable social and economic development in local communities.

Sam Walsh went on to say that the Western Cape region provides challenges, lessons and opportunities for Comalco. "This exhibition provides us with a unique opportunity to support further development in Cape York art communities, including those in the Western Cape where our bauxite mining operations are based."

Comalco has supported the Queensland Art Gallery for the past 20 years, providing funding to assist in developing its collections. The company's sponsorship of Story Place has also helped the Gallery commission works that will form the basis for a permanent indigenous Cape York Collection.

The whole story really begins in the mid 1880s when Queensland became a colony (separate from New South Wales). Cape York Peninsula was the only major region where indigenous peoples were relatively unaffected by Europeans. This changed following gold discoveries the late 1800s. In the resulting clamour for grazing and farming land (and cheap labour to work the holdings), indigenous cultures were soon overwhelmed. Under the Aboriginal Protection Act and Restriction of the Sale of Opium Act 1897, disparate clans were brought forcibly together in missions and reserves, fracturing the traditional structures of families and clans. Though indigenous peoples were officially "protected", their lives were frequently turned upside down by official decisions. Researcher Rosalind Kidd cites the following example in her book, The Way We Civilise: Aboriginal Affairs - the Untold Story.

"Angry that the pastor of the McIvor River mission refused to send schoolgirls to do domestic work in town, (the Cooktown police magistrate) counselled that government support was 'unwarranted' while such revenue was ignored (by the mission). Perversely, he advised cancellation of the funding to Hope Valley because children would not remain at school…"



The culmination of five years of consultation with the Western Cape York communities and the Queensland Government, the WCCCA recognizes the Native Title rights of Traditional Owners, and commits Comalco to supporting sustainable social and economic development in local communities. Sam Walsh went on to say that the Western Cape region provides challenges, lessons and opportunities for Comalco. "This exhibition provides us with a unique opportunity to support further development in Cape York art communities, including those in the Western Cape where our bauxite mining operations are based." Comalco has supported the Queensland Art Gallery for the past 20 years, providing funding to assist in developing its collections. The company's sponsorship of Story Place has also helped the Gallery commission works that will form the basis for a permanent indigenous Cape York Collection. The whole story really begins in the mid 1880s when Queensland became a colony (separate from New South Wales). Cape York Peninsula was the only major region where indigenous peoples were relatively unaffected by Europeans. This changed following gold discoveries the late 1800s. In the resulting clamour for grazing and farming land (and cheap labour to work the holdings), indigenous cultures were soon overwhelmed. Under the Aboriginal Protection Act and Restriction of the Sale of Opium Act 1897, disparate clans were brought forcibly together in missions and reserves, fracturing the traditional structures of families and clans. Though indigenous peoples were officially "protected", their lives were frequently turned upside down by official decisions. Researcher Rosalind Kidd cites the following example in her book, The Way We Civilise: Aboriginal Affairs - the Untold Story. "Angry that the pastor of the McIvor River mission refused to send schoolgirls to do domestic work in town, (the Cooktown police magistrate) counselled that government support was 'unwarranted' while such revenue was ignored (by the mission). Perversely, he advised cancellation of the funding to Hope Valley because children would not remain at school…"
PAGE 2 OF 4

Review is published by Rio Tinto, 6 St James' Square, London SW1Y 4LD, England Telephone +44 (0)20 7930 2399 Editor: Cherry DeGeer