Marie Yamba Aboriginal Mission

Marie Yamba was a Lutheran church mission active between 1887 and 1902, and located between Proserpine and Bowen in North Queensland.[1]

Marie Yamba Aboriginal Mission
Queensland
Marie Yamba Aboriginal Mission is located in Queensland
Marie Yamba Aboriginal Mission
Marie Yamba Aboriginal Mission
Coordinates20°35′48.1″S 148°34′47.66″E / 20.596694°S 148.5799056°E / -20.596694; 148.5799056
Established1887
Abolished1902

In February 1888 the Missionary Society of the United German and Scandinavian Lutheran Church established the mission.[2] The government gave them a land grant of 30 square miles to house their mission reserve.[3]

Mr. Andreas Christian Claussen, who had chosen the site of the mission, was also its first missionary.[4]

Local settlers initially supported the creation of the mission, and hoped it would become a useful way of controlling the local Aboriginal population, but over time they became increasingly opposed to it.[5] The mission had relatively little success in converting Aboriginal people, and by 1901 it was in serious financial trouble.[5]

When it closed in 1902, 23 Aboriginal people at Marie Yambawere transferred to Hope Vale Mission.[1]

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Mainland communities L-M:". slq.qld.gov.au. State Library of Queensland. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
  2. ^ "Aboriginal Mission Stations". The Brisbane Courier. 30 October 1888. p. 5.
  3. ^ "Mission to Aboriginals". The Week (Brisbane). 4 May 1900. p. 19.
  4. ^ "Mari Yamba Mission - To Port Denison Aborigines - Interesting but Discouraging Work". The Telegraph (Brisbane). 12 June 1893. p. 2.
  5. ^ a b Evans, Kay Elizabeth. (1972). Marie Yamba, Bloomfield and Hope Vale : the Lutheran missions to the north Queensland Aborigines, 18861905. OCLC 902775388.