long shadows of the tall river gums. Their interest was aroused only when they saw animals such as kangaroos, emus, horses andcamels. Otherwise, they sat quite still until one nudged the other to look at something as they passed by.
In his role as a Protector of Aborigines, Constable Riggs had been on the move for over a week and would have completed the round trip when he arrived at Marble Bar. Except for a brief pause at stations along the way they spent most of the day driving. At 2 o’clock they arrived at Marble Bar hospital where Riggs admitted the sick women, then he handed Molly, Gracie and Daisy to Constable Melrose for removal south.
Constable Riggs returned to Nullagine at 5pm the same day. With great relief and satisfaction he notified the Chief Protector of Aborigines in Perth by telegram. “All halfcastes and sick natives transported Bar train tomorrow report earliest. Riggs Const.” 21 July 1931.
It was late afternoon when the party reached Marble Bar. When they arrived, Constable Melrose handed Molly, Gracie and Daisy over to his wife as he had to visit the local Aboriginal camp to attend to a young girl who was sick and had to be taken into the Marble Bar hospital.
“Feed them an early supper and I’ll lock them up in the empty cells,” Melrose told his wife. “I want a good night’s sleep tonight.”
And so while Mimi-Ali and Nellie were resting at the Marble Bar hospital, Molly, Gracie and Daisy spent the next few days at the Marble Bar police station under the supervision of Constable Melrose. Nellie remained in hospital when the others later boarded the train under the escort of Constable Pollett to Port Hedland. Travelling by train was much better than by car but Molly, Gracie and Daisy were growing weary. The girls knew that they had left behind the rugged landscape of the East Pilbara when they sighted the blue-green ocean. They were fascinated by the beauty of the sea, but had no idea what they were doing there until they drove down to the wharf and were handed over to the captain of the State Shipping Service vessel the Koolinda. It was berthed at the harbour waiting for high tide. After Constable Pollett handed over the documents to the captain, he turned towards the nervous young girls and told them that the captain would be taking them all the way to Fremantle.
Captain Freeman called to a member of the crew, Gwen Campbell, the stewardess. “Here’s another four for you. There’s Molly, Daisy, Gracie and the woman with the fractured femur is Mimi-Ali. Take them down to their cabins,” he said.
Campbell asked the girls to follow her to the lower deck while another crew member carried Mimi-Ali in a stretcher. So, on the 26 July 1931, Molly, Daisy, Gracie and Mimi-Ali sailed south to the Port of Fremantle. A telegram was sent to Chief Protector of Aborigines in Perth. “Half-caste girls Daisy Mollie and Gracie and crippled gin Ballerallie [Mimi-Ali] from Marble Bar forwarded Koolinda last night care stewardess stop please arrange meet and have stretcher for Ballerallie. Pollett Constable.” 27 July 1931.
As the vessel chugged slowly out into the deep, blue waters of the open sea, the three girls anxiously clutched their bunks, overcome with fear. They let themselves roll from side to side until they got used to the grinding and murmuring of the ship’s engines. Then they stretched out on their bunks and went to sleep.
The next morning after breakfast, Gwen Campbell coaxed them out on deck. “Come and see all the big fish,” she said, as she beckoned them to her. “We may be able to throw a line over this afternoon and catch some for supper.”
They stood near the railing and watched as the mulloway, schnapper, kingfish and many other types of fish darted this way and that in the ocean below them.
As the days wore on Gwen Campbell tried gently to gain their trust but they remained shy and frightened. George Johnson, a crew member, told them of the exciting and fascinating
In his role as a Protector of Aborigines, Constable Riggs had been on the move for over a week and would have completed the round trip when he arrived at Marble Bar. Except for a brief pause at stations along the way they spent most of the day driving. At 2 o’clock they arrived at Marble Bar hospital where Riggs admitted the sick women, then he handed Molly, Gracie and Daisy to Constable Melrose for removal south.
Constable Riggs returned to Nullagine at 5pm the same day. With great relief and satisfaction he notified the Chief Protector of Aborigines in Perth by telegram. “All halfcastes and sick natives transported Bar train tomorrow report earliest. Riggs Const.” 21 July 1931.
It was late afternoon when the party reached Marble Bar. When they arrived, Constable Melrose handed Molly, Gracie and Daisy over to his wife as he had to visit the local Aboriginal camp to attend to a young girl who was sick and had to be taken into the Marble Bar hospital.
“Feed them an early supper and I’ll lock them up in the empty cells,” Melrose told his wife. “I want a good night’s sleep tonight.”
And so while Mimi-Ali and Nellie were resting at the Marble Bar hospital, Molly, Gracie and Daisy spent the next few days at the Marble Bar police station under the supervision of Constable Melrose. Nellie remained in hospital when the others later boarded the train under the escort of Constable Pollett to Port Hedland. Travelling by train was much better than by car but Molly, Gracie and Daisy were growing weary. The girls knew that they had left behind the rugged landscape of the East Pilbara when they sighted the blue-green ocean. They were fascinated by the beauty of the sea, but had no idea what they were doing there until they drove down to the wharf and were handed over to the captain of the State Shipping Service vessel the Koolinda. It was berthed at the harbour waiting for high tide. After Constable Pollett handed over the documents to the captain, he turned towards the nervous young girls and told them that the captain would be taking them all the way to Fremantle.
Captain Freeman called to a member of the crew, Gwen Campbell, the stewardess. “Here’s another four for you. There’s Molly, Daisy, Gracie and the woman with the fractured femur is Mimi-Ali. Take them down to their cabins,” he said.
Campbell asked the girls to follow her to the lower deck while another crew member carried Mimi-Ali in a stretcher. So, on the 26 July 1931, Molly, Daisy, Gracie and Mimi-Ali sailed south to the Port of Fremantle. A telegram was sent to Chief Protector of Aborigines in Perth. “Half-caste girls Daisy Mollie and Gracie and crippled gin Ballerallie [Mimi-Ali] from Marble Bar forwarded Koolinda last night care stewardess stop please arrange meet and have stretcher for Ballerallie. Pollett Constable.” 27 July 1931.
As the vessel chugged slowly out into the deep, blue waters of the open sea, the three girls anxiously clutched their bunks, overcome with fear. They let themselves roll from side to side until they got used to the grinding and murmuring of the ship’s engines. Then they stretched out on their bunks and went to sleep.
The next morning after breakfast, Gwen Campbell coaxed them out on deck. “Come and see all the big fish,” she said, as she beckoned them to her. “We may be able to throw a line over this afternoon and catch some for supper.”
They stood near the railing and watched as the mulloway, schnapper, kingfish and many other types of fish darted this way and that in the ocean below them.
As the days wore on Gwen Campbell tried gently to gain their trust but they remained shy and frightened. George Johnson, a crew member, told them of the exciting and fascinating
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