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THIS ITEM IS TOP-NUMBERED TO 16399/1897 Residents
A. Meston
[stamp] Home Secretary's Office Queensland 15870 13.Dec.97
[stamp] Previous 97 14897 Serial No 11
Brisbane, December, 13th, 1897
Further Report Re Hislop.
Under Secretary, Home Secretary's Office.
Dear Sir,
In accordance with request of Home Secretary in his memo of 30th November I have to say that Mr. Hislop junior, under whose control the rations would be distributed, has been for some years cohabiting with aboriginal women one of whom has borne three half caste children, whose paternity is admitted by Mr. Hislop himself. The character of Mr. Hislop senior required no testimony from himself or others as his career as a colonist has so far as I am aware been irreproachable. We are concerned ony with Mr Hislop junior. Any white man who cohabits with gins loses at once all respect he may have previoiusly received from the blacks. In their estimation he falls not only to their level but far below it. They really regard him with contempt however much apparent friendship they may profess from interested motives. Therefore it is not desirable that the blacks should be encouraged to assemble and to receive Government rations from Mr. Hislop junior or that his relationship with the gins should receive any countenance whatever from the Home Secretary. The effect on blacks and whites would be equally bad.
I would again respectfully repeat a sentence in my report of February 17th that the Police Office and Mission Station are little more than an hour's walk from
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Hislop's house, and if any extra food is to be distributed or medicine served to sick blacks, on the Blomfield, the control should be given to the Missionaries, or Constable Whelan, and not to a private selector, especially one addicted to familiarity with the aboriginal women.
I may mention here that the Hislops received me with every courtesy, they and I meeting and parting on very friendly terms, but I am not a man to allow any sentimentalism, or either friendship or enmity, to interfere with my sacred duty to give the Home Secretary a plain unbiased opinion of every question on which he requires a report.
Yours faithfully,
(sgd.) A. Meston