Tag / Rottnest Island

by Eddie

Racists lodge a complaint

Looking good for white visitors

Looking good for white visitors

When the Aboriginal gaol on Rottnest was turned into a luxury hostel for holidaymakers, it is understandable that it caused outrage. But not for the reasons you think. Oh dear no.

Some of the cells had their adjoining walls knocked down to make them suitable for married couples. You see, one white married couple occupies the same sleeping space as forty Aboriginal men. But that was not the reason for the outrage.

It wasn’t even controversial that a prison would be made into holiday homes at all. No one complained about the possibility of ghosts, or of disrespecting the heritage values of the place. That was not the reason for the outrage.

In 1911 as the hostel was being prepared for its first Christmas opening it was rumoured that the furniture had been made by ‘Asian’ labourers, and not just white folk. The Sunday Times, always quick to smell a racist opportunity, rushed a reporter over to the island and he confirmed the worst. There were the labels showing the fittings had been touched by non-white hands. (For those unfamiliar with just how racist furniture can be, click here.)

Naturally the Minister for Public Works was horrified (to have been found out). He ordered all the furniture returned to Perth and suspended the civil servant he held responsible for this barbaric crime.

The poor bureaucrat protested he had no instructions to buy only from white firms, and the Asian-made furniture was much, much cheaper. In fact, 90% of all furniture used in Western Australia was made by ‘Asiatics’. Much to the disgust of the (white) union movement.

So the cheaper items were replaced with more expensive, racially pure furniture and everyone was happy.

Except for those who cared about the horrendous history of the gaol. But it would be many decades before the media bothered telling that side of the story.

by Eddie

Rotto and Rocky: Dens of sleaze

90x150mm

Here at Dodgy Perth we have a simple rule to see whether it is acceptable to date someone. Divide your age by two and add seven. If the other person is younger than that, it’s a no go.

This means as soon as you hit 40, you are forbidden from dating anyone under 27. It’s that simple.

The rule was probably not much different in 1931 when a set of 40-something cads were exposed as seducers of teenage girls. They took advantage of owning yachts to invite the young ladies on three day cruises or camping trips.

The youngsters would lie to their parents and claim they were off to Rotto and Rockingham, or another “pleasure haunt”, with their girlfriends. Mum and dad could never believe their innocent daughter would be up to mischief, so saw no cause for alarm.

Immediately after leaving the house the young flapper would catch up with another couple of girlfriends and the three of them would board a large yacht with three middle-aged men as their companions for the weekend.

Many such yachts would be seen moored off Rotto on a long weekend, and with no accommodation on the island, the parties would take place entirely onboard, with much heavy drinking and the inevitable payoff for the elderly vampires.

“Mother thinks we girls are all camping at Rockingham,” giggled one foolish young flapper to a journalist.

Occasionally some of the old Romeos would run into one of the girl’s relatives and this would lead to black eyes and an embarrassed miss being ordered home.

The media blamed the parents, of course, and called for police intervention. As for the men, a sound thrashing was too good for them.

Welcome to holidaying. 1930s style.

by Eddie

Black mail

With love, from me to you

With love, from me to you

The first posties in Western Australia were the colonists themselves, but they quickly priced themselves out of the market. So the Government decided to turn to a cheaper option.

Since Rottnest Island was a harsh prison for Aborigines, it was from here the new posties were ‘recruited’. In exchange for basic rations, sometimes just a handful of flour, Indigenous men were forced to carry the mail all over WA.

Failure to fulfill any part of the ‘bargain’ would mean an instant return to the hell that was Rotto.

So from October 1848, a new (almost free) postal service was in place. The lucky ‘employees’ had to walk with a hefty bag from Perth to Mandurah, or Mandurah to Bunbury, or Bunbury to Busselton. They could easily rack up more than 200 km a week.

Unsurprisingly, some Aboriginal posties became injured through exertion, alarming the Government who wanted no interruption to their bargain-priced mail service.

As the number of leg injuries continued to rise, one kind soul suggested the posties be given ponies to ride. Fortunately, colonists were not heartless. Letters poured into newspapers protesting this proposed scheme.

How dare we think of doing that to the poor animals? Anyone familiar with brutish natives would know they would mistreat the poor ponies! Far better to break a few Aborigines, than one four-legged friend should be put at risk.

So the posties were forced to keep up the long walks, for no pay. The only reward being to keep out of Rottnest Prison.

Eventually mail bags became so heavy, the posties couldn’t lift them any more, so good white folk once again took over.

Naturally, they used a horse and carriage. Any other way would be unthinkable.