Historical Documents & Other Collectables

March 12, 2023 12:00 PM AEDT
Timed Auction

261 Lots

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Smalls Auctions

Location: Sydney, Australia

Phone: +61 (0)2 9357 5492

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Welcome to Smalls Auctions Sale 208. In this Sale we have included a number of official Government documents that track the evolution of Australian society. Because Australia was established as a penal colony there is no shortage of detailed government records tracking its population. Convict work gangs provided hard labour for Government projects, but they were also assigned to settlers as servants and so detailed records needed to be kept tracking their whereabouts. Convict musters as well as a full census of all citizens were conducted regularly by Government order by the local constabulary and these records provide a rare insight into the evolution of Australian society. In our Sale we have a census for the Colony of New South Wales for the year 1846. The multi-cultural society that Australia now trumpets was a thing of the future with just 1,465 of its 154,534 citizens as being non-Christian with even fewer being born outside Britain and its dominions. There is plenty to discover in this document but the glaring omission is that Australia’s original indigenous population was not captured in these snapshot. As we build up to a referendum on Aboriginal recognition in the Constitution and an Aboriginal Voice to Parliament Government it is worth delving into other official documents to reflect on how the native population was governed through the years. Beginning in the Colonial era each state had a body or board which was responsible for overseeing its Aboriginal population which it identified somewhat callously in annual reports to governments as ‘full-bloods’ and ‘half-castes.’ For example, in the State of New South Wales, an annual census of Aborigines conducted by the police in 1905 for the ‘Aboriginal Protection Board’ identified “a total of 2.656 full-bloods (1,068 men, 771 women and 817 children) and 4,477 half-castes (1,127 men, 937 women and 2,413 children) which was an increase of 223 of the previous year.” Certainly, there was a clear intermingling with the white colonisers as the number of Aborigines identified as ‘full-bloods’ had fallen from 6,450 in 1882 whereas the number identified as ‘half-castes’ had almost doubled from 2,379 in the same period. All aspects of their existence were dictated by government with a breakdown of amounts expended on their welfare by locality. Much like the ‘bridging the gap’ studies that circulate today the annual reports identified areas of concern but also of perceived progress. For example, the Report tabled in 1906 for the year 1905 identified that “the number of children who received instruction throughout the States (sic) was 683 - 665 at Public Schools and 18 at private schools, - being a decrease of 25 as compared with 1904” but that despite “their natural shyness” they “acquitted themselves quite creditably.” Certainly, the reports were written in a patronising fashion, but they do capture a snapshot of the circumstances foisted on the native population throughout Australia’s short history. In our Sale we have the 1864 Report of the Central Board appointed to watch over the interests of the Aborigines in the Colony of Victoria as well as reports tabled with the post - Federation New South Wales Legislative Assembly in the years 1906, 1934 and a 1940 amendment to the Aborigines Protection Bill. Tellingly, the 1940 amendment outlines the circumstances under which the Child Welfare Act of 1939 should be applied to those Aboriginal children deemed “neglected” or “uncontrollable” used to justify their State - sanctioned forced removals from families identified these days as the “Stolen Generation.” South Australia was certainly more enlightened and when it became a became a self-governing colony in 1856 it introduced one of the most democratic constitutions in the civilised world. The burgeoning colony was not rooted in a history as a penal settlement and so it championed inclusivity of all men, including indigenous men, who were able to cast a single vote regardless of their circumstances via a secret ballot thus ensuring that their vote was not coerced. Of course, the rights of women lagged behind, and it was only propertied women who were granted the right to vote in 1861 taking until 1894 before all women including Aboriginal women could participate in the democratic process. In our Sale we also have an intriguing document from 1858 proposing the annexation of Western New South Wales and its not where you would think it is. It’s certainly one for trivia night so check out Lot 73 for the surprising answer. As usual there are other items to satisfy a variety of collecting tastes and we hope there is something in our Sale for you. Smalls Auctions
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Conditions of Sale

VAT and taxes: The Buyer's Premium is inclusive of the Australian G(oods) & S(ervices T(ax) incurred by our service.

Shipping Terms: AUSTRALIA :

Purchases within Australia will be charged a MINIMUM SHIPPING FEE of $10.00 and will be sent by Registered Post.

Additional insurance is optional at the buyer's expense.

Larger lots may incur an additional charge.

OVERSEAS :

Overseas purchases will be charged a MINIMUM SHIPPING FEE of $35.00 and will be sent by standard International Post.

Additional insurance is optional at the buyer's expense

Larger lots may incur an additional charge.

If we are unsure of the bona fides of a successful bidder we may request identification such as a Passport Photo or Drivers's Licence that matches the Credit Card details registered with Invaluable before we despatch an item.

Both Australian and International packages are traceable in transit and may require a signature on delivery.

Buyers Premium: All purchases are subject to an all inclusive 20.0 % Buyer's Premium on the hammer price.

Tax Details: Taxes, Duties and Customs Charges that apply in the country of delivery are the express responsibility of the buyer.

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