An autograph letter signed by Daisy Bates (dated 'Wynbring Siding, S.A., 21/11/42') to Miss Jean Bransdon, concerning wartime tea rationing, the British character, Arthur Mee, and Bates' controversial belief in the imminent extinction of Australian Aboriginal people
1942.
Quarto (248 × 197 mm), 1 page (written on one side of a sheet of lined notepaper).
Vertical and horizontal folds for posting; in excellent condition.
On 28 September 1942 a letter to the editor appeared in the 'Sydney Morning Herald' entitled 'Tea Rations in the Never-never'. It was written by Bates and began: 'Sir, - I greatly regret the rationing of tea, which, to my mind has been the foundation beverage of Australia's best pioneers. I have drunk tea for over 60 years, and in those 20 odd years of my camplife amongst the natives - wild and semi-civilised - their first drink of a pannikin of sweetened tea was a revelation to them, and its energetic effect was at first supposed to be due to my "magic". When they would return from a long bush walk, "tea, gul-dha, kabbarli" (tea, grandmother), was their first cry. In the early days of squatting tea was the uniform "pick-me up" at "smoke-ohs" in shearing shed and cattle camp...'. The letter to the editor appears to have prompted numerous readers to send her packages of tea, amongst them Miss Bransdon. She writes: 'Dear Miss Bransdon, Your lovely packet of precious tea has just come, & I write at once to thank you for your generous gift. I had never meant my "lament" in the "Herald" letter as an appeal. Rather that I "missed my tea" as I say "I miss my child friends" or "I miss my city friends" but the kindliness running through the British character wherever it is transplanted has in its own way generously interpreted my sentence. & so I am now able to send tea to Red Cross & other War Service friends to use in their morning or afternoon teas. It is such a boon & treasure. I sent a cheque too on behalf of all my kindly donors to the Red Cross in Sydney. I think it went to Mayor's Red Cross. I was so pleased & touched at the kindly feeling that prompted you all to "invite me to tea." & I drink your health each time I have a cup of tea. I am so glad you know & appreciate Arthur Mee's little C.N. [Children's Newspaper]. He is a truly wonderful Englishman, has just had his "Jubilee" of writing work, & sent me a little C.N. notice of it & his contribution of "Domesday Books" of every County in England will be Standard Works in the centuries to come. He has already written nearly 40 Counties. Do you get the C.N.? I receive only odd copies since the war, but we keep up our correspondence all the same. I am in my 83rd year, & 40 of those have been spent in seeing what comes to be done for our aborigines. I could only "Make their Passing easier" & I hope I've done that. They are vanishing quickly. Thank you for your kindly message of good will. Yours very sincerely, Daisy M. Bates'. Offered together with the original envelope (addressed in Bates' hand) and a clipping of the letter to the editor that sparked the correspondence. Daisy May Bates (circa 1859-1951) carried out ethnographic and welfare work among the Aboriginal people of Western Australia and South Australia over a long and singular career. Her popular journalistic writings about Aboriginal life were published as 'The Passing of the Aborigines' (1938), with the uncredited assistance of Ernestine Hill. Arthur Mee encapsulated her now-contested views in his introduction to the book: 'Their race is bound to disappear - it is about 60,000 strong and does not grow like the proud Maori race of New Zealand. It has been [Bates'] idea that their lives should be controlled and cared for with that fact in view. They should be left as free as possible, to pass from existence as happily as may be. She has wanted to save them from the worst effects of casual contact with the fringe of civilization. In their way they are pure and simple folk, and she has come to love them.' Bates' invented personal history, bigamous marriages and fierce imperialism make her a fascinating figure, whose character comes through in this letter. It is also generally acknowledged that her work contains valuable data relating to Aboriginal people. However, she was undoubtedly a fabulist, and some of her claims have been widely discredited, in particular those relating to the disappearance of Aboriginal people and the prevalence of cannibalism in Australia.
Item #147972
Price (AUD):
$750.00