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Recreations.—The usual sports and games have been indulged in, and the men enter into cricket and football competitions keenly, and generally give a good account of themselves. The Barambah cricket team had a victorious run, principally through the very fast bowling of Eddie Gilbert, a full-blood, who won his way to interstate honours. The Palm Island Senior and Junior teams organised local competitions for trophies; and matches were played at Rockhampton and at the Settlement by Woorabinda natives and European teams, the victories going to the blacks. (DNA Report for 1930, p. 12)
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"Recreations.—The native is fond of all outdoor sport, and cricket and football are followed up keenly in each season. Teams have been allowed to visit neighbouring towns and have proved successful in many of the contests. The native brass bands at Barambah and Palm Island have accompanied their teams, and the behaviour has always been well commented upon.
The Barambah Concert Party also gave several entertainments in other towns, to raise funds, and the hall, for which this money was desired, has been commenced. The Woorabinda team of footballers also played a match in Rockhampton, and won praise for their play and behaviour.
The usual corroborees and displays with aboriginal weapons are always popular.
On each settlement an annual sports day has been organised, and proved successful in every way, the natives working willingly in the preparations for the festivity and entering heartily into the competitions.
The usual Christmas and New Year festivities have also been organised and gifts, extra rations, and usual delicacies supplied.
The evident enjoyment of the inmates has well repaid the trouble. " (DNA Annual Report for 1927, p. 10).
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"Recreations.—The popular sports and games are encouraged and are entered into with great enjoyment. Cricket and football matches with European teams in the neighbourhood are allowed, under efficient supervision, and seldom is there any cause for complaint as to behaviour of the men.
At Barambah and Palm Island, good brass bands have been formed, and at the former settlement a most creditable concert party has been trained by the Matron, Mrs. Semple, which has given several very successful entertainments in neighbouring townships, thereby raising funds for a recreation hall and piano. The Palm Island band has given band concerts in Townsville and also at Halifax. Occasional picture show entertainments, given on the reserve by travelling showmen, have been a source of keen enjoyment.
Annual sports days, Christmas and New Year festivities, with gifts, picnics &e., have been organised by the officials and keenly enjoyed. The practice of native corroborees and use of native weapons is always encouraged. By cultivating healthy recreations the evils of gambling and immorality can to some extent be combated". (DNA Annual Report for 1926, p. 9).
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Recreations.—At each of the three settlements football, tennis, and cricket are favourite recreations, and sports material has been provided, mostly from funds raised by themselves. Friendly matches with neighbouring clubs have been allowed, and the natives more than hold their own in these contests. The corroborees are a never failing source of amusement, as also are European dances.
Sports have been held at Barambah and Taroom with great success, the proceeds being banked in a sports fund and expended under the supervision of their own committees...
...Brass bands were formed at Barambah and Palm Island. The members show great interest, and have made most creditable progress. The whole of the instruments were purchased from funds raised by themselves from concerts and sports held. (DNA Annual Report for 1925, p. 9).
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'Every encouragement was given for practice of healthy outdoor sports, such as cricket, tennis, and football, nor were their old pastimes, such as corroborees, boomerang and spear throwing, neglected.
Sports have been held, with great success, and from the proceeds of concerts, &c, held amongst themselves, a new billiard table was purchased by the Barambah natives.
The usual Christmas festivities were heartily entered into, for which extra luxuries, gifts of clothing, toys, games, &c, were provided, and a week's holiday given over to sports, picnics, and usual amusements (DNA Annual Report for 1924, p. 9)
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'Recreations—The usual outdoor sports, football, cricket, tennis, &c, have been encouraged by supplying the necessary material. The natives all enter keenly into these' (DNA Annual Report 1922, p. 8).
'Recreations.—The usual outdoor sports, football, cricket, tennis, &c, have been encouraged by supplying the necessary material. The natives all enter keenly into these.
The two cricket teams at Barambah joined the local association and won most of the matches against neighbouring white teams.
Hunting, fishing, boating, and native sports and corroborees have also been encouraged, and are equally keenly indulged in' ( DNA Annual Report 1922, p. 9).
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Generic comment made about the three Government Settlements (Barambah, Taroom, Palm Island). 'Recreations. —Outdoor sports, native corroborees, and other healthy amusements were encouraged. Cricket, football, tennis, and such sporting material was supplied. At Taroom, a native mounted infantry squad has been formed, under a returned soldier officer, and the men, all of whom ride their own horses, are very keen. At Palm Island, boating picnics, fishing, harpooning turtle, and pig-hunting are all favourite amusements.
The usual Christmas festivities were indulged in, towards which, by common consent, the accumulated interest on their bank accounts was expended in sporting material and seasonable luxuries and gifts for the children, sick, and old. Through this generous action on the part of the able bodied, the festive season was a time of real enjoyment to all. (DNA Annual Report 1921, p. 8).
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At Barambah, Taroom and Palm Island: "Recreations—The usual outdoor sports of cricket, football, tennis, &c, are always popular, and were encouraged by assisting the natives to obtain sporting material. Every encouragement was also given them to practice and retain their skill in, and love for, their old native arts, sports, and pastimes.
The usual Christmas festivities were indulged in, the extra luxuries, gifts, sports, prizes, picnics, &c, provided, being keenly enjoyed'. (DNA Annual Report for 1923, p. 9)
'Gambling and immorality are still a source of trouble, and will be until it is possible to combat them by providing means for healthy social and domestic recreations for the hours, when, for lack of these occupations, they get into mischief' (DNA Annual Report for 1923, p. 8).
'In sport the settlements are more or less well catered for, and the Chief
Protector has spared no effort in the past to encourage this form of life on
the settlements, by dispersing funds for the procuring of suitable material.
For this he has the grateful thanks of the natives as well as of the officials. But more could be done in this direction, however, and each settlement should have at least one official who should be given a reasonably free hand to encourage and arrange regular sport of a clean and healthy order' (Daily Mail (Brisbane), 16 November, 1923, p. 6).
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Generic comment made about the three Government Settlements (Barambah, Taroom, Palm Island). 'Recreation. — Every encouragement has been given to outdoor amusements by providing the material for cricket, football, tennis, and usual school games to wean them, by counter attraction, from the vice of gambling. Native sports and corroborees have been encouraged with the same object (DNA Annual Report 1920, p. 8).
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The teams from Palm Island and Barambah played in football matches at the Exhibition
Ground, in Brisbane, against picked Brisbane
teams, and their good behaviour and play won
the appreciation of the public. On both
occasions His Excellency the Governor attended (ROS, 1930, p. 11)
Proceeds from Football matches: Palm Island 804 pound and Barambah 216 pound. Expenses for the Football matches: Palm Island 517 pound and Barambah 80 pound. (ROS, 1930, p. 5)
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Palm Island spent 337 pound on 'footballers' which was as much as Barambah spent on sewerage that year! Income generated from matches at Palm Island was over 729 pounds (ROS, 1929, p, 12)
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Brisbane Telegraph (Qld) 30 April 1951: 12
Rugby League match between Palm Island and Cherbourg to be played on consecutive nights in Brisbane and then Ipswich on the 3rd and 4th of May as a part of the Jubilee Festival. Boxers from Cherbourg, Palm Island and Woorabinda settlements will also clash. There is mention that the Department of Native Affairs are bring down 'Aborigines' from the Torres Strait. No comment on what it is they will be doing.
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Jones Shield Inter-settlement Competition Woorabinda Show, 30-31 May 1952, report (extensive): Competition included ring events and football: “The show concluded with a programme of ring events on Saturday, a natives' dance, and a football match on Sunday”. Many names listed.
