'Your connections to Nappamerrie is as strong as ours' : Pastoralism, Paternalism and the Legacies of Settlement

Abstract

This thesis examines the relations between Aboriginal people and settlers on Nappa Merrie Station in far south-west Queensland. The station, established by John Conrick in 1873, remained in the author’s family for eighty-one years, with three generations of Conricks growing up there. A core focus is the written historical record and stories passed down by descendants, all of which place an emphasis on the Conrick family’s positive relations with, and conciliatory treatment of, Aboriginal people. This is especially significant given the notoriously violent interactions between Aboriginal people and pastoralists in Queensland. The author is the great-great-granddaughter of John Conrick, and this thesis follows the author’s journey to uncover the nature of the Conrick’s relations with Aboriginal people and analyse the veracity of the stories passed down through the generations. Additionally, the complex relationship and sense of belonging Conrick descendants have with Nappa Merrie and its Aboriginal population is examined. Using ‘insider’ knowledge, the author blends personal experience with academic historical training, connecting family history to the national story. A unique element of this thesis is the utilisation of the author’s rich family archive, which includes diaries, unpublished memoirs, letters, an extensive photograph and album collection, artefacts, and dictionaries of local languages. These are examined in conjunction with government records, newspaper articles, oral history transcripts and local historian Helen Tolcher’s books and research notes. While this thesis reveals the Conricks were more humane and conciliatory in their treatment of Aboriginal people in comparison to others at the time, it also reveals the enduring legacies of this history which continue today. This research demonstrates the veracity and selectivity of social memory and oral histories, through comparing family stories with historical records. The inconsistencies and absences in Conrick family narratives allow an insight into the influence of social norms and expectations on both individual and family memory over the decades. The thesis concludes with the recorded oral history of two Aboriginal Conrick descendants. This sharing of stories allows an insight into Aboriginal perspectives and contributes to the continuing legacies of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal relations on Nappa Merrie Station.