224 A HISTORY OF THE COLONY OF VICTORIA 



and justice demanded that the experiment which had been so suc- 

 cessful in his hands should be extended to the numerous tribes on 

 the main continent. He emphasised the necessity for immediate 

 action by referring to them as an admittedly ill-used and persecuted 

 people. Despite the faith which his facile pen aroused in Lord 

 Glenelg, it needs to be said that his prophecies about the future of 

 the natives under his control were falsified by their absolute extinc- 

 tion within about thirty years from the date of his report, while the 

 specimens of their " precocious intellect " which he furnished in the 

 appendices are preposterous. 



In a despatch dated 31st January, 1838, Lord Glenelg informed 

 Governor Gipps of his intention to establish a protectorate of the 

 aborigines, and announced his offer of the post of Chief Protector, 

 through Sir John Franklin, to Mr. G. A. Eobinson, whose head 

 station was to be at Port Phillip, and for whose assistance four 

 gentlemen, qualified for the position of Assistant Protectors, would 

 be engaged in England and sent out. The chief was to have a 

 salary of 500 per annum, and the four assistants 250 each, with 

 an allowance of 100 each for outfit and passage money. Their 

 names were C. W. Sievewright, William Thomas, E. S. Parker and 

 James Dredge, and their duties were set forth in the despatch in 

 much detail. Each Protector was to attach himself as closely as 

 possible to the tribes of the district to which he might be appointed, 

 attending their movements from one place to another, until they 

 could be induced to assume more settled habits of life ; to conciliate 

 their confidence and respect, and to make them believe in him as 

 their friend. He was to watch over the rights and interests of the 

 natives, protect them from encroachments on their property, or any 

 acts of oppression or injustice, and see that their wants or grievances 

 were properly represented to the Government. For this purpose 

 Lord Glenelg was of opinion that each of the Protectors should be 

 made a magistrate. As soon as the natives could be induced to 

 settle down, the Protector was to teach them to cultivate the ground 

 and encourage them to erect suitable habitations for themselves of 

 a permanent character. The education of the children as early and 

 extensively as possible was to be regarded as a matter of primary 

 importance. He was to promote to the utmost of his ability the 



