User:Aliceinthealice/sandbox: Difference between revisions
progress save Tags: Reverted Visual edit |
progress save Tags: Reverted Visual edit |
||
| Line 3: | Line 3: | ||
{{Use Australian English|date=September 2024}} |
{{Use Australian English|date=September 2024}} |
||
'''Valentine Bynoe McGuinness''' usually known as '''Val McGuinness''' (14 February 1910 – 1 November 1988) was an Aboriginal rights activist.<ref name=":0">{{Citation |last=Austin |first=Tony |title=Valentine Bynoe McGinness (1910–1988) |work=Australian Dictionary of Biography |url=https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/mcginness-valentine-bynoe-14671 |access-date=2024-09-30 |place=Canberra |publisher=National Centre of Biography, Australian National University |language=en}}</ref> |
'''Valentine Bynoe McGuinness''' usually known as '''Val McGuinness''' (14 February 1910 – 1 November 1988) was an Aboriginal rights activist.<ref name=":0">{{Citation |last=Austin |first=Tony |title=Valentine Bynoe McGinness (1910–1988) |work=Australian Dictionary of Biography |url=https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/mcginness-valentine-bynoe-14671 |access-date=2024-09-30 |place=Canberra |publisher=National Centre of Biography, Australian National University |language=en}}</ref> He was a [[Larrakia people|Larrakia]] and [[Kungarakany]] man. |
||
== Life in the Northern Territory == |
== Life in the Northern Territory == |
||
| Line 9: | Line 9: | ||
McGinness was the son of Stephen Joseph McGinness, a miner and prospector, and his wife [[Alngindabu|Alyandabu]] (who was also known as Lucy McGinness). His mother was a [[Kungarakany]] woman and, as such, he was officially designated a 'half-caste' when he was born and he was the fourth of five children.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |year=1982 |title=Valentine Bynoe McGinness : "Uncle Val" |url=https://lant.on.worldcat.org/oclc/1037867726 |access-date=2024-09-30 |website=[[Library & Archives NT]]}}</ref> |
McGinness was the son of Stephen Joseph McGinness, a miner and prospector, and his wife [[Alngindabu|Alyandabu]] (who was also known as Lucy McGinness). His mother was a [[Kungarakany]] woman and, as such, he was officially designated a 'half-caste' when he was born and he was the fourth of five children.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |year=1982 |title=Valentine Bynoe McGinness : "Uncle Val" |url=https://lant.on.worldcat.org/oclc/1037867726 |access-date=2024-09-30 |website=[[Library & Archives NT]]}}</ref> |
||
McGuinness spent the first eight years of his life at his families mine, called Lucy Mine (after his mother), nearby to [[Batchelor, Northern Territory|Batchelor]], until the death of his father in 1918.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Map of Lucy Mine in the Northern Territory - Bonzle Digital Atlas of Australia |url=http://www.bonzle.com/c/a?a=p&p=295532&cmd=sp |access-date=2024-09-30 |website=www.bonzle.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Lucy Mine (Mine) |url=https://www.ntlis.nt.gov.au/placenames/view.jsp?id=14650 |access-date=2024-09-30 |website=NT Place Names Register}}</ref> Following his father's death he and his brother, [[Joe McGinness]], became wards of the 'chief protector of Aborigines' and were taken to the [[Kahlin Compound]] in [[Darwin, Northern Territory|Darwin]]. Wanting to be close to her children Alyandabu went with them and got a job there working as a cook but she was able to have limited contact with them.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Heroes in The Struggle for Justice - Joe McGuinness |url=https://kooriweb.org/foley/heroes/biogs/joe_mcguinness.html |access-date=2024-09-30 |website=kooriweb.org}}</ref> McGinness remembered his time there unfavourably and recalled grim living conditions and a poor standard of education |
McGuinness spent the first eight years of his life at his families mine, called Lucy Mine (after his mother), nearby to [[Batchelor, Northern Territory|Batchelor]], until the death of his father in 1918.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Map of Lucy Mine in the Northern Territory - Bonzle Digital Atlas of Australia |url=http://www.bonzle.com/c/a?a=p&p=295532&cmd=sp |access-date=2024-09-30 |website=www.bonzle.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Lucy Mine (Mine) |url=https://www.ntlis.nt.gov.au/placenames/view.jsp?id=14650 |access-date=2024-09-30 |website=NT Place Names Register}}</ref> Following his father's death he and his brother, [[Joe McGinness]], became wards of the 'chief protector of Aborigines' and were taken to the [[Kahlin Compound]] in [[Darwin, Northern Territory|Darwin]]. Wanting to be close to her children Alyandabu went with them and got a job there working as a cook but she was able to have limited contact with them.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Heroes in The Struggle for Justice - Joe McGuinness |url=https://kooriweb.org/foley/heroes/biogs/joe_mcguinness.html |access-date=2024-09-30 |website=kooriweb.org}}</ref> McGinness remembered his time there unfavourably and recalled grim living conditions and a poor standard of education stating that he never had any tuition.<ref name=":0" /> He remembered the following of his teacher:<ref>{{Cite book |last=Austin |first=Tony |title=I can picture the old home so clearly: the Commonwealth and 'half-caste' youth in the Northern Territory 1911-1939 |date=1993 |publisher=Aboriginal Studies Press |isbn=978-0-85575-239-2 |location=Canberra |page=57}}</ref> |
||
{{Quote frame|"[T]his teacher sort of sat up at one end facing the two classes and she just sat -there, doing something, knitting or whatever she was doing. And, I forget now, but I think we did learn c-a-t, r-a-t, something like that and that was all. We just sat down and scribbled on our slates. I never actually had any tuition." |
|||
Val McGinness, as quoted in 'I can picture the old home so clearly: the Commonwealth and 'half-caste' youth in the Northern Territory, ' (1993) by Tony Austin}} |
|||
[T]his teacher sort of sat up at one end facing the two classes and she just sat there, doing something, knitting or whatever she was doing. And, I forget now, but I think we did learn c-a-t, r-a-t, something like that and that was all. We just sat down and scribbled on our slates. I never actually had any tuition. |
|||
McGinness and Joe escaped from the home in 1923, when he was 13, and the authorities chose not to interfere and McGinness stayed with their sister Margaret and her husband Harry Edwards who lived in Darwin. He became an apprentice to his Harry and qualified as a [[blacksmith]] and [[wheelwright]] in 1927.<ref name=":0" /> |
McGinness and Joe escaped from the home in 1923, when he was 13, and the authorities chose not to interfere and McGinness stayed with their sister Margaret and her husband Harry Edwards who lived in Darwin. He became an apprentice to his Harry and qualified as a [[blacksmith]] and [[wheelwright]] in 1927.<ref name=":0" /> |
||
| Line 28: | Line 33: | ||
== Legacy == |
== Legacy == |
||
He is the grandfather/great-uncle of Darwin based [[Larrakia people|Larrakia]] woman musician [[Ali Mills]] who performs some songs written by McGinness.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2018-01-02 |title=Darwin Waterfront’s Biggest Australia Day Celebrations |url=https://newsroom.nt.gov.au/dev/news-archives-list/article?id=24110 |url-status=live |access-date=2024-09-30 |website=Northern Territory Government Newsroom |language=en}}</ref> |
|||
== Resources about == |
== Resources about == |
||
Revision as of 22:34, 30 September 2024
Valentine Bynoe McGuinness usually known as Val McGuinness (14 February 1910 – 1 November 1988) was an Aboriginal rights activist.[1] He was a Larrakia and Kungarakany man.
Life in the Northern Territory
McGinness was the son of Stephen Joseph McGinness, a miner and prospector, and his wife Alyandabu (who was also known as Lucy McGinness). His mother was a Kungarakany woman and, as such, he was officially designated a 'half-caste' when he was born and he was the fourth of five children.[1][2]
McGuinness spent the first eight years of his life at his families mine, called Lucy Mine (after his mother), nearby to Batchelor, until the death of his father in 1918.[3][4] Following his father's death he and his brother, Joe McGinness, became wards of the 'chief protector of Aborigines' and were taken to the Kahlin Compound in Darwin. Wanting to be close to her children Alyandabu went with them and got a job there working as a cook but she was able to have limited contact with them.[5] McGinness remembered his time there unfavourably and recalled grim living conditions and a poor standard of education stating that he never had any tuition.[1] He remembered the following of his teacher:[6]
"[T]his teacher sort of sat up at one end facing the two classes and she just sat -there, doing something, knitting or whatever she was doing. And, I forget now, but I think we did learn c-a-t, r-a-t, something like that and that was all. We just sat down and scribbled on our slates. I never actually had any tuition." Val McGinness, as quoted in 'I can picture the old home so clearly: the Commonwealth and 'half-caste' youth in the Northern Territory, ' (1993) by Tony Austin
[T]his teacher sort of sat up at one end facing the two classes and she just sat there, doing something, knitting or whatever she was doing. And, I forget now, but I think we did learn c-a-t, r-a-t, something like that and that was all. We just sat down and scribbled on our slates. I never actually had any tuition.
McGinness and Joe escaped from the home in 1923, when he was 13, and the authorities chose not to interfere and McGinness stayed with their sister Margaret and her husband Harry Edwards who lived in Darwin. He became an apprentice to his Harry and qualified as a blacksmith and wheelwright in 1927.[1]
On 20 December 1930 McGinness married Isabella Hume, who was from Borroloola, but the marriage was a short one and they later divorced.[1]
Throughout the 1930s McGinness worked in various roles; including as a truck driver, on the railways, highway construction and chasing brumbies; he also spent time working on a peanut farming scheme near Katherine during the Great Depression. In the later part of the 1930s he spent some time working at the Darwin Hospital, in various roles, where he developed a friendship with the then pharmacist there Xavier Herbert who, it is said, used McGinness as the inspiration of the character of Norman Shillingsworth in his novel Capricornia (1938).[1] Tis claim is, however, contested with others believing that the character is based on Reuben Cooper, the son of Robert Joel Cooper.[7]
McGinness and Herbert began working together regularly and McGinness assisted Herbert when he was the relieving superintendent of the Kahlin Compound for 8 moths in 1935 - 1936 and they worked together to try to improve conditions there. They also undertook mining ventures together and McGinness took Herbert to visit the Lucy Mine. In 1936 the pair formed the Euraustralian League (later known as the Northern Territory Half-caste Association) together which sought full citizenship for 'half-caste' people and people of mixed decent; this venture was short-lived and ended in 1938 and Herbert blamed this on the police, and other authorities, seeing it as being 'socially subversive'.[8][1]
During this period McGinness knew Cecil Cook, who was then working as the Chief Protector of Aborigines, well and said of him: "I couldn’t say anything very good about him. He hated Aboriginals for a start".[9]
In 1938, following the ending of the League, McGinness moved the Cairns where he worked primarily as a mechanic although he also took work on the goldfields, on pearling boats and for the Queensland Irrigation and Water Supply Commission.[1]
In 1960 he returned to Darwin, where he was very involved in the local music scene as a mandolin player,[10][11] and on 27 March 1967 he married Jaina Thompson.[1]
He died 1 November 1988 in Atherton, Queensland.[1]
Legacy
He is the grandfather/great-uncle of Darwin based Larrakia woman musician Ali Mills who performs some songs written by McGinness.[12]
Resources about
McGinness' recorded four oral history interviews with Library & Archives NT in 1979, 1982, 1983 and 1987.[13][14][15][16]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Austin, Tony, "Valentine Bynoe McGinness (1910–1988)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, retrieved 30 September 2024
- ^ "Valentine Bynoe McGinness : "Uncle Val"". Library & Archives NT. 1982. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
- ^ "Map of Lucy Mine in the Northern Territory - Bonzle Digital Atlas of Australia". www.bonzle.com. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
- ^ "Lucy Mine (Mine)". NT Place Names Register. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
- ^ "Heroes in The Struggle for Justice - Joe McGuinness". kooriweb.org. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
- ^ Austin, Tony (1993). I can picture the old home so clearly: the Commonwealth and 'half-caste' youth in the Northern Territory 1911-1939. Canberra: Aboriginal Studies Press. p. 57. ISBN 978-0-85575-239-2.
- ^ Gray, Stephen (2011). "Brass Discs, Dog Tags and Finger Scanners: The Apology and Aboriginal Protection in the Northern Territory 1863-1972". Territory Stories. Darwin: Charles Darwin University Press (CDU Press). p. 63. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
- ^ Herbert, Xavier (1 November 1983). "The Backlash". Trove. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
- ^ Gray, Stephen (2011). "Brass Discs, Dog Tags and Finger Scanners: The Apology and Aboriginal Protection in the Northern Territory 1863-1972". Darwin: Charles Darwin University Press (CDU Press). p. 79. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
- ^ Cornfield, Jeff (4 August 2002). "Val McGuinness". Veranda Music. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
- ^ "String bands and shake hands : a tribute to the life and music of Val McGinness, one of the last of... - Catalogue | National Library of Australia". catalogue.nla.gov.au. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
- ^ "Darwin Waterfront's Biggest Australia Day Celebrations". Northern Territory Government Newsroom. 2 January 2018. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ McGinness, Val. "Oral history interview with Val Bynoe Mcginness".
- ^ McGinness, Val (1987). "Oral history interview with Val Bynoe Mcginness". Library & Archives NT. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ McGinness, Val (1979). "Oral history interview with Val Bynoe Mcginness". Library & Archives NT. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ McGinness, Val (1982). "Oral history interview with Val Bynoe Mcginness / 1982". Library & Archives NT. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)