King plate
A king plate , also known as a breast plate , is an insignia (national emblem) that was given to elders (elders) of the Aborigines in Australia during the time of European colonization to highlight them as local leaders. The king plates were metal crescent-shaped plates that important Aborigines wore around their necks on a necklace.
meaning
The Aborigines traditionally did not appoint or elect kings or tribal leaders. They lived in small clan groups with elders (older sages), with an elder man and possibly an elder woman, who consulted each other on decisions. By being appointed king of the tribe and being awarded the king plates, the British colonial power turned against the core of the traditional Aboriginal society. An elder, who held the position of chief of the tribe, was not elected, but became so through knowledge of the dream time , through age, experience and wisdom. He became a tribal leader through social recognition.
King plates were first awarded by Governor Lachlan Macquarie of New South Wales around 1815. In the 'Native Institution' of Macquarie in Parramatta his instruction reads: “ That the Natives should be divided into District Tribes and that each Tribe should elect its own chief, who the Governor will distinguish by some honorary badge. “(German: The indigenous people are to be divided into regional tribes and each tribe should choose its own leader, who is highlighted by the governor with a plaque of honor.)
His instruction to award this distinction can also be understood as a control instrument, as a dictum to no longer appoint tribal leaders according to tribal rules, but to elect and subject them to his influence. As a result, the tribal leader could only be the bearer of the plaque that he received from the governor and no longer through the social rules of the Aboriginal tribe.
history
In the 19th century, king plates were given to highly respected Aborigines in numerous Aboriginal communities in various Australian states. It is assumed that the king plates were also worn by women. There is no proof of this. However, the women were often called "Queen", who were usually elder women in their tribe or kin. An example of this is Gooseberry, the wife of Bungaree who took the name "Queen".
There are suspicions that showing or not showing the king plates was also helpful in showing the other person how highly regarded or respected you are among the white Australian community.
The plaques were much less valuable than the crown jewels of European monarchs. The material consisted of industrial metal such as brass or iron, optically close to gold and silver and some King plates wearers appealed to this. A typical inscription was the name of the wearer in the upper part of the plate with the title "King of ..." or "Chief of ..." underneath, partly with the year of delivery. Some people who wear the King Plate are said to have engraved Queen Victoria's royal seal anywhere on the plate to give it a special touch of prestige.
The practice of presenting oneself with the king plates declined in the post-federal years in Australia and was no longer established in the late 1930s.
Carrier of a King plate
Macquarie bestowed the first badge of honor on Bungaree in 1815 and the second on Nurragingy in 1816.
A lot has been researched about the king plate carriers, but much is still unknown. Below is some information about known King plate carriers:
- Jagar - King of Barron was an elder of the Aboriginal Yirriganydji from northern Queensland . He is pictured with a king plate in 1898. His badge was lost for years and wasreturned in 2006, 60 years after it was won in a card game by a US soldier in World War II .
- Bilin Bilin - King of Logan and Pimpama was known forstaying inwhat is now the Logan City area ofQueensland. He presented his King plate in 1875. He was the leader of the Yugambeh Aborigines from the mid-19th century to the early years of the 20th century. He was highly regarded by both the Aborigines and the European settlers.
- Minnippi - King of Tingalpa was for a time the partner of Bilin Bilin, who died on a return journey from Brisbane. He is buried near the suburb of Waterford West. The exact location is unknown.
- Billy - King of the Albert was an Aboriginal leader in southern Queensland. Little is known about his historical identity, although he was a contemporary of Bilin Bilin and Minnippi and made a significant contribution to the Gold Coast's Aboriginal history .
- Bungaree - Chief of the Broken Bay Trib , King of Port Jackson and King of the Blacks was an Aboriginal leader in the Broken Bay area and the first Aboriginal tocircumnavigatethe entire Australian continent with Matthew Flinders on the HMS Investigator .
- Coburn Jackey - Chief of Burrowmunditroy was an Aborigine of the Wiradjuri people in New South Wales . His King plate was seen by James White, one of the first European settlers in the region. Both men were good friends, and Jackey was helping White with his building work; they also helped each other and spent a lot of time together.
- Umbarra - King of Bermagui , also known as King Merriman, was an "elder" of the Yuin in the Bermagui region of New South Wales. It is reported that he was able to look into the future through a black duck.
- Warrandy - King of Geraldton , also known as "King Billy", was one of the Aboriginal leaders of Western Australia who presented his King plate.
- Nobby didn't have a King plate, but he was described as the King of the Blacks in this district by a white Australian who lived near Bundaberg .
- Brady , was an Aborigine who presented himself with a king plate. He died at Bribie Island Mission Station in 1892 and was buried on the beach at the Mission.
Images of King plates
- King plate by Tallboy, King of Moorabie (ca.1865)
- breast plates - Aboriginal
- Mickey Johnson, King of Illawrra
- King Brown, Woolumba and Tommy, King of Noosa
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Governor Macquarie's remarks , accessed June 13, 2009
- ↑ FD McCarthy: adb.online.anu.edu.au : Bungaree (- 1830) , Australian Dictionary of Biography . Australian National University . ISSN 1833-7538
- ^ Westernsydneylibraries.nsw.gov.au : First Aboriginal Land Grants , in English, accessed October 14, 2011
- ^ Illustration of Jagar 1898 and one of his descendants with Kings plate , accessed on June 13, 2009
- ↑ Press information about the return of the King plate ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed June 13, 2009
- ↑ Finding Jagars King plate at www.abc.net.au , accessed June 12, 2009
- ↑ Logan's indigenous history on www.logan.qld.gov.au ( Memento of the original from July 18, 2005 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed June 12, 2009
- ↑ a b Indexes: Colonial Secretary Office and Home Secretary Office ( Memento of the original of July 27, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , "Indexes to correspondence relating to Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders in the records of the Colonial Secretary's Office and the Home Secretary's Office, 1887-1896," accessed June 12, 2009
