The Rainbow Mystery Cache

It has been estimated that the total Aboriginal population was about 300,000 at the time the first fleet arrived in 1788, by the 1840's it had dropped to less than 50,000. The Aboriginal people were a healthy race when white man first arrived but settlement bought various diseases and changes which forced the Aboriginal people to alter their way of life. There were many attempts in the 1840's to help the Aboriginal people but these failed. A British Parliamentary Select Committee of Inquiry into the Condition of Aboriginal People began in 1835. Five 'protectors' where appointed "who were to take up their abode among the blacks [sic], to act as their friends, to use every means of protecting them by every influence in their power." The Port Phillip Protectorate was set up at Mitchellstown in 1839 under the supervision of James W. Dredge who provided a grim picture of conditions among local Aborigines. Those within the protectorate included members of the local Ngooraialum and Kailtheban groups. Disgusted with the appalling conditions. By the end of February 1840, after just seven months in the field, James Dredge despatched his resignation. His diary entry on 26 February outlines the impossibility of the situation:

"There are now upwards of two hundred persons here, and I am entirely without supplies for them — it cannot be wondered at if robberies and other depredations occur, for the poor creatures must live some way or other. …A little flour is placed in my hands for their use, just sufficient to draw them together and make fools of them by its immediate exhaustion and the impossibility of getting more for some time. …Thus they are driven to seek their subsistence in any way, most likely in some instances by theft, and when the Whites are displeased and expect one to prevent it, which, not being able to do, I fall into disgrace with them. Shame upon the Government who can permit such a state of things in reference to the blacks, by the sale of whose lands they are aggrandising themselves."

The protectorate was then taken up by William Le Souef and relocated to Murchison which also failed due to a basic lack of knowledge of the Aboriginal culture. Large areas of land needed to be reserved for the Aboriginal people but the required authorities were not prepared to grant this because of the squatting movement. Le Souef saw his role in protecting the settlers rather than the interests of the Aboriginal people. Due to his attitude, he had been threatened with spearing and sought police protection. At this time the population of Aboriginal people residing under the protectorate had been reduced to 100.

The Bangerang people lived in the Murray Goulburn area where their country covered from Mooroopna across to Echuca, up to Deniliquin back across to Finley, down to Katandra and finished back near Shepparton.

The Bangerang Nation consisted of the Moirathban, Toolinyagan, Wolithiga, Kailthban, Ngarrimowro, Angootheraban and the Pikkolatpan tribes.

The Bangerangs were river people as the Murray, Goulburn, Campaspe, Edwards and Broken Rivers, and Broken Creek flowed through their country.

Each tribe of the Bangerangs looked after and cared for the country within their tribal boundaries, but become one nation when war threatened from other Koorie Nations.

When the settlers started taking land around the Goulburn Murray area about 1840 the Bangerang people went through a rough time. They were living around townships in bad conditions. A man by the name of Daniel Matthews bought land on the Murray sand hills near Echuca around 1875 and encouraged the Bangerang people to leave the townships and live with him and his wife at Mologa. Here he educated the Bangerangs and other tribes, and Mrs. Matthews taught the women household skills. When Mologa was closed because of government policies another mission was established called "Cummeragunja" near Barmah which means "Our Home".

Around 1909 the New South Wales Aboriginal act was introduced giving the Aboriginal Board control over the lives and movements of the Koori people living on and off the missions and reserves.

The new policies and power included the forced removal of part Koories. Dissatisfaction with conditions at Cummeragunja led to a petition to the NSW Protection Board in 1938 and then to a mass walkout in 1939 of approximately 200 residents. Most crossed the river to join another former 100 residents living at Barmah. Some moved to live in Melbourne, others to live in humpies along the Murray River and many of them established themselves in a small shanty town on the river bank between Mooroopna and Shepparton. For decades, Aboriginal people had provided casual work in Mooroopna working in factories and picking fruit. This pre-war influx established the first permanence in the district for over 40 years. Their original hessian and kerosene tin huts were built on the river bank between the river and the highway. Social services were non existent and many locals fed themselves by fishing, shooting rabbits, or scavenging in the nearby tip. Families living in riverbank shacks were regularly flooded and many moved across the highway to a site in Daish's paddock beside the rubbish tip. It is rumoured that during Queen Elizabeth II's visit to the Goulburn Valley that the area where the Aboriginal people where living was partitioned off with large hessian sheets so that they could not be seen by the Queen when she was driven across the causeway.

A number of the residents and members of the community were unhappy with the situation at Rumbalara. In 1968 the Victorian Ministry of Aboriginal Affair was created and the Welfare Board replaced by the Aboriginal Affairs Advisory Council. The following year, due to the complaints, Rumbalara was closed and the residents moved into Commission homes in the area. The problem of what to do with Rumbalara then arose. The Housing Commission had sold the land to the Department of Aboriginal Affairs, which had then intended to sell it to a youth croup. However, through the efforts of the Victorian Ombudsman, Rumbalara passed to the Goulburn-Murray Aboriginal Cooperative for a nominal sum.

The cooperative set about the establishment of a centre for local Aborigines which would include a community hall, medical centre, child minding centre, and emergency accommodation. Over the years the emphasis slowly changed to matters relating to health care and a full time medical practitioner, nurse, health workers and receptionist were employed. Di's uncle was one of the first full time Doctors employed there when the full time service commenced in 1982. Today, Rumbalara has evolved from an unsuccessful attempt at providing temporary housing for Aboriginal people to a centre managed by the Aboriginal community for the Aboriginal community.

The Puzzle
The cache is hidden at:

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The Cache
The drive to the cache location should be accessible by most vehicles unless their has been some recent rainfall with the area becoming quite slippering even after a slight shower. Also beware as the pot holes can be deeper than they look! Increase the terrain rating if there has been a sniff of rain. The cache is hidden in a standard geocaching spot with not a bad view of the river. As usual, keep an eye for snakes if it is that time of year. You are looking for an ammo container with the usual swaps, log book, and pen. There will be a scratchie for the FTF, however, I forgot to put it in the cache so I will catch up with cacher once logged.