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Cherbourg, QLD

Australia Fair?

Racism has been a constant part of Uncle Doug’s life.

Uncle Doug’s grew up on Cherbourg Aboriginal Reserve in Queensland in the 1930’s. Because he's Aboriginal, every aspect of Doug's life on Cherbourg was controlled.


There was a roll call,” he says in this video interview. “There was a flag stuck on a pole: a Union Jack. Australian flag. You had to turn and salute the flag. I never saluted one day, and got 3 weeks in jail for not doing it.… 3 weeks, straight off, locked up, bread and water.”


Despite the conditions on Cherbourg, Doug says the residents made their own fun. He laughs, remembering how he used to sneak out of jail at night, using a hole dug under the toilet. “They never woke up to it,” he chuckles. “Cunning fellows we were!

WATCH VIDEO of Doug sharing his story

Even after he left Cherbourg, Doug continued to experience racism on a daily basis. He encountered some of the most blatant racism whilst living in Moree in the 1950’s, where Doug recalls a rope in the cinema that segregated Indigenous people from non-Indigenous people. He couldn’t even use the front door at the cinema, but was forced to exit via a side door opening onto a back alley. 

Doug acknowledges that things have come a long way since then. “I have a lot of great friends amongst the white people in Moree now,” he says. “Their kids call me Grandfather, Uncle.” Nevertheless, Doug still experiences racism, “You can feel it," he says. “You sit on a seat, a white lady comes along, wipes the seat over, and then she’ll sit down...”

Despite the challenges he's faced as a result of his heritage, Doug is proud to be Indigenous. “I was born an Aboriginal, so I'll die one, hey!” he says triumphantly. 

Stop & Think... Have you ever felt despised, unwanted? 

  • Imagine being shunned by society to the degree that you were not allowed to sit on the same seats or walk through the same doors as other people.
  • How would these constant reminders that you are considered a second class (even subhuman) member of society make you feel?

Racism towards Aboriginal Australians today is often less overt than in the past. However, even covert racism is harmful to the mental health of Indigenous Australians. Watch this short video to see how everyday racism impacts Indigenous people today.

Explore this topic further:

Living Under 'The Act"

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Australian governments introduced legislation to regulate the lives of many Indigenous people. This legislation is commonly referred to as 'protection Acts' because its stated intention was to 'protect' Indigenous people. The Act was enforced by ‘protectors’, who were often police officers.


About Cherbourg Reserve


Almost every aspect of life at Cherbourg was highly controlled. The Superintendent had authority over whether people entered or left the reserve, where they lived, who they lived with, where they worked and who they married. The threat of being further separated from family or removed to other communities (such as the penal reserve on Palm Island) was used as another form of social control.





Want to know more?

Watch the Sharing Our Story series to learn more about our shared history. 

The complete Sharing Our Story series is available here.


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Government Reports and Commitments

Government Reports and Commitments

Intervention: Denied Control

Intervention: Denied Control

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