Items

• Missions – Description – Sport - 1927

  "Recreations.— This important side of the work has not been neglected. The usual outdoor sports, football, cricket, tennis, rounders, &c, are always popular. Hunting, fishing, and searching for bee's-nests or "sugar-bag" are also favourable pastimes for holidays. At some stations, as also in Torres Strait, the young people have entered keenly into the Boy Scout and Girl Guide movement. Besides providing a healthy recreation for them, this has been found to have important value, in that they display keen interest and strive to acquire, as a sport, efficiency in many of the manual and domestic arts it was desired to afford them instruction in". (DNA Annual Report for 1927, p. 12)

• Missions – Description – Sport - 1926

  'RECREATION. Not the least important side of the work is that of providing healthy occupations for the leisure time. The native is in many ways just a child, with the average child's capacity for the mischief that is ever ready for idle hands. Games, such as football, cricket, tennis, rounders and especially aquatic sports, are keenly entered into and do much, not only to combat gambling and other evils, but to foster the true team spirit amongst them. Their national sports and corroborees are, however, always popular, especially amongst the old people.' (DNA Annual Report for 1926, p. 11)

• Missions – Description – Sport - 1925

  Recreation.—Practically all forms of sport followed by white people are keenly entered into by the natives. Their national amusements, corroborees, displays of skill with weapons, hunting, &C, are always popular. Every encouragement is given to healthy amusements to combat the vices of gambling, &c, inevitable where there is lack of occupation for idle hours (DNA Annual Report for 1925, p. 11).

• Missions – Description – Sport - 1924

  'Recreation —The people enter heartily into all forms of outdoor recreation and keenly enjoy football, cricket, swimming, foot racing, &c. They are also very fond of hunting and fishing' (DNA Annual Report for 1924, p. 10).

• Missions – Description – Sport - 1923

  On the church-run missions, including Yarrabah: 'Healthy recreations have been encouraged and assisted, being recognised as an important factor in combating vices, creating contentment and happiness, and in moulding of character. Football, cricket, swimming, &c, have been practised, but native corroborees and dances still provide the most popular source of amusement' (DNA Annual Report for 1923, p. 10).

• Missions – Description – Sport - 1920

  'Recreations —This important side of the work has not been overlooked. Football, cricket, swimming, horse sports, outdoor and indoor games, music, foot races—not forgetting the national sports of spear throwing, corroborees, &c.—have been encouraged and are followed with keen interest' (DNA Annual Report 1922, p. 10).