Rocklands Station

Indjalandji-Dhidhanu Country

Rocklands Station is located 10 km north of Camooweal along the border of the Northern Territory and Queensland in the Barkly Tableland region. It was established in 1864 by brothers James and George Sutherland, on the traditional lands of the Indjalandji-Dhidhanu people. The property includes large limestone rock formations, which influenced the naming of the station.

The Georgina River which runs through the middle of the property, is also known as a Dreaming Track, along which can be found sacred sites, places where ancestors camped, met and traded. The nearby caves and sinkholes of Wiliyan-ngurru National Park are preserved to protect the natural and cultural values of the area.

Decimation of Aboriginal groups of the Georgina and its tributaries, has been attributed to frontier violence, as well as the introduction of multiple infectious and contagious diseases, only a few Indjalandji-Dhidhanu families survived in the region.

A number of Aboriginal town and pastoral camps were established in the Basin where the remnant Aboriginal groups maintained cultural practices, while working under the 'Protection act'. Working and living on pastoral stations, they retained their connection to country and sacred sites, passing on customary knowledge to younger generations of the Idaya descendent group.

The records relating to Rocklands Station, held at the State Library of Queensland, include a letter book of correspondence, employment records, stock returns, a horse book and employment agreements. These agreements made under the Aboriginals Protection Regulations were between the manager of Rocklands Station and the named Aboriginal, for a specified period, showing the nature of employment, rates of pay, and the signature or thumbprint of the employee and witnesses.

Agreements held in this collection show many familiar names including those of Archie Toby, Tommy Saville, Dengeroo Jack [aka Dijeru Jack, son of Dijeru, also Dingeroo], Mick Charlie, Wingi Thomas, Betty and Paddy Lloyd, Nancy Saltmere, Riley Webber, Tippo Pedwell, Captain Major and others.

Descendants of Idaya's son Dijeru, include Ruby Saltmere, who is the contemporary Elder of the Indjalandji-Dhidhanu group.

The men in the photograph above, taken on Rocklands Station c.1948 have been partially identified. Posing in front of the Dodge motorcar belonging to the station manager Robey Miller, they are from left to right - Tom Neade, Ron Hayden, unknown, P Chong, Henry Ah Kit; in front Gordon Kempsy [Remfry?] Also noted "this photograph was used as a Reconciliation photo in 2001" by L A Miller, Rocklands Station.

Another group, taken on Rocklands Station, c.1948 shows a mix of European, Aboriginal and Asian workers, under the supervision of George Jago a returned First World War soldier, his signature is on many of the employment agreements.

An Aboriginal boy named Oscar was taken by police from the Cooktown area, to work for Augustus Henry Glissan at Rocklands Station in the late 1880s. He produced a number of drawings depicting Native Police troopers shooting tribal Aboriginal people either as they were running away or as they were tied to trees.

Today, Rocklands Station continues as large cattle breeding property, operating on 667,964 ha for the Paraway Pastoral Company.

The Indjalandji-Dhidhanu People hold determined native title over 20,000 square kilometres of their traditional country around Camooweal, adjacent to the Northern Territory border in far North-West Queensland. Through IDAC, the Indjalandji-Dhidhanu traditional owners self-manage their native title rights and interests, including all negotiated native title agreements and future act processes.

View …

• 5429, Rocklands Station Records, State Library of Queensland
• Collection guide to Rocklands Station records

Read more …

• Native Title Extract
  http://www.nntt.gov.au/searchRegApps/NativeTitleRegisters/NNTR%20Extracts/QCD2012_015/NNTRExtract_QCD2012_015.pdf
• Case study of Myuma Group, Paul Memmott, 2010
  http://www.nintione.com.au/resource/NintiOneResearchReport_63_CaseStudyMyumaGroup.pdf

Listen …

• Tommy Saville interviewed by Bruce Simpson and Bill Gammage in the Drovers oral history project, 15 July 2001
  https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/263847

Tommy Saville was born at Lawn Hill and reared on Rocklands Station. Tommy started work at Rocklands Station about 1938 as a youth, the head stockman at the time was Barney Lewis and manager Gordon Benn Jago, a returned First World War soldier.