The Gnowangerup Mission or Gnowangerup Aboriginal Mission, also known as United Aborigines Mission, Gnowangerup, was a

Christian mission A Christian mission is an organized effort for the propagation of the Christian faith. Missions involve sending individuals and groups across boundaries, most commonly geographical boundaries, to carry on evangelism or other activities, such ...

located in the town of Gnowangerup in the Great Southern region of

Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...

. The mission was sponsored by the United Aborigines Missions, formerly known as

Australian Inland Mission The Australian Presbyterian Mission was founded by the Presbyterian Church of Australia to reach those "beyond the farthest fence" with God's Word. It is better known as the Australian Inland Mission (AIM). Rev. John Flynn was the first superi ...

. It was established in 1935 around Muir Hill on the outskirts of the town on of land owned by Hope and Hedley Wright. The Wrights managed the mission on behalf of the United Aborigines Mission. They had previously run for the Australian Aborigines' Mission on the Government Reserve in town between 1926 and 1935. In 1933 it was suggested that the

Carrolup Marribank, earlier known as Carrolup, is a locality in the Shire of Kojonup, Western Australia, approximately north-west of Katanning. It was the site of one of two large native settlements for Indigenous Australians established by the office ...

mission be reopened as a ration station for Aborigines. Wright and the local community protested about the distance that would have to be travelled. Wright was a

missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Tho ...

Protector of Aborigines The role of Protector of Aborigines was first established in South Australia in 1836. The role became established in other parts of Australia pursuant to a recommendation contained in the ''Report of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Abori ...

and rationing officer at Gnowangerup and had contact with 400 Aborigines annually. Officially opened in November 1935 the property had been acquired at a cost of £237 for located from the townsite. The mission buildings were transferred from the old site. In 1938 the mission was responsible for 288 people and cost the Department of Native Affairs £88, with most of the people working for their own income. Many one or two room cottages were built from timber with iron roofs on the mission. Aboriginal people were not permitted into the town after 6.00pm. Some time in the early 1940s a two-room

maternity hospital A maternity hospital specializes in caring for women during pregnancy and childbirth. It also provides care for newborn infants, and may act as a centre for clinical training in midwifery and obstetrics. Formerly known as lying-in hospitals, most o ...

was built in the mission. The mission was part of the 1.3 billion

native title Aboriginal title is a common law doctrine that the land rights of indigenous peoples to customary tenure persist after the assumption of sovereignty under settler colonialism. The requirements of proof for the recognition of aboriginal title, ...

deal struck between the state government and the Wagyl Kaip or southern

Noongar The Noongar (, also spelt Noongah, Nyungar , Nyoongar, Nyoongah, Nyungah, Nyugah, and Yunga ) are Aboriginal Australian peoples who live in the south-west corner of Western Australia, from Geraldton on the west coast to Esperance on the so ...

peoples in 2015. Carol Petterson JP, a member of the Western Australian Aboriginal Advisory Council from 2015 to 2018 at the

Department of Aboriginal Affairs The Department of Aboriginal Affairs was an Australian government department that existed between December 1972 and March 1990. History The Department had its origins in the Office of Aboriginal Affairs (OAA), which was established ...

, was born at the mission. Eric Hayward, a noted author, was also born at the mission.

References

{{coord missing, Western Australia Great Southern (Western Australia) Australian Aboriginal missions Aboriginal communities in Western Australia 1935 establishments in Australia