point mcleay • Find • State Library of South Australia

Point McLeay Mission Station

Sweet, Samuel White, c. 1872, Photograph, B 8416

Point McLeay Mission Station was built on the south east shore of Lake Alexandrina in the Coorong in the heartland of the Ngarrindjeri people. The Mission was founded in 1859 by the Aborigines' Friends Association to help the Aboriginal people of the Lower Lakes. Poor quality land and lack of funding hindered its progress. Familes and orphaned children were housed there until the Government took control in 1916. The photograph shows a group of well maintained cottages and a church.

School House, Point McLeay Mission

c. 1890, Photograph, B 10024

School House and garden at Point McLeay Mission Station. This Aboriginal community has now been given back its original name of Raukkan, which means meeting place. George Taplin helped to build the school, church and mission station to care for the local Aboriginals. The photograph shows the school house set behind a beautifully managed garden consisting of multiple flower beds each surrounded by white limestone rocks. Hedges and lawns complete the picture. The children of Raukkan stand in rows, at ease, in front of the school house.

Point McLeay Mission Station

Duryea, Townsend, c. 1905, Photograph, B 10855

Point McLeay Mission Station now known as Raukkan, in South Australia. Raukkan means meeting place in the Ngarrindjeri language. For thousand of years this place was an important meeting place and location of the Grand Tendi (Parliament) The Ngarrindjeri people fed and cared for Sturt's starving party. In 1860 the Aborigines' Friends' Association was granted 107 hectares to establish a mission. They could never become self sufficient due to the poor quality of the land given. Since 1974 the Raukkan has been administered by the Ngarrindjeri people.

Point McLeay Mission Station

c. 1907, Photograph, B 11033

[General description] Point McLeay Mission Station on Lake Alexandrina. Set in a sparsely treed landscape the station comprises a group of neat stone cottages, various outbuildings and a church. It was founded in 1859 by the Aborigines' Friends Association.

House at Point McLeay Mission

News Limited, 1956, Photograph, B 20305

House at Point McLeay Mission, 7 February 1956.

Residents, Point McLeay

1885, Photograph, B 21527

Residents at Point McLeay Mission Station, December 1885.

Point McLeay Mission Station

1917, Photograph, B 26016

Point Mcleay Mission Station.

Children, Point McLeay

c. 1940, Photograph, B 27646

Children after tooth brush drill at Point McLeay Mission Station.

Basket-Making, Point McLeay

1963, Photograph, B 28491

Basket-making at Point McLeay Mission Station.

Basket-Making, Point McLeay

1963, Photograph, B 28492

Basket-making at Point McLeay Mission Station.

Woodwork, Point McLeay, teacher Mr W. T. Lawrie

Aborigines' Friends' Association (Adelaide, S.A.), 1923, Realia, SRG 139/57/30

A printing block and a printed image from the block, depicting Australian Aboriginal life at Point McLeay Aboriginal Mission in the early and mid-twentieth century. Printing block number 205.

State School, Point McLeay

Aborigines' Friends' Association (Adelaide, S.A.), 1921, Realia, SRG 139/57/31

A printing block and a printed image from the block, depicting Australian Aboriginal life at Point McLeay Aboriginal Mission in the early and mid-twentieth century. Printing block number 206.

Fife and Drum band, Point McLeay

Aborigines' Friends' Association (Adelaide, S.A.), 1924, Realia, SRG 139/57/32

A printing block and a printed image from the block, depicting Australian Aboriginal life at Point McLeay Aboriginal Mission in the early and mid-twentieth century. Printing block number 207.

The school band, Point McLeay

Aborigines' Friends' Association (Adelaide, S.A.), 1921, Realia, SRG 139/57/33

A printing block and a printed image from the block, depicting Australian Aboriginal life at Point McLeay Aboriginal Mission in the early and mid-twentieth century. Printing block number 208.

On board the 'Rose', Point McLeay

Boyle, Leonard Stanley, 1923, Photograph, B 69787

Postcard of a group of people travelling on board the 'Rose' to Point McLeay Mission Station, January 1923.

Aboriginal dwelling, Point McLeay

Boyle, Leonard Stanley, 1923, Photograph, B 69788

Postcard of an Aboriginal dwelling at Point McLeay Mission Station, January 1923.

Jetty, Point McLeay

Boyle, Leonard Stanley, 1923, Photograph, B 69789

Postcard of Aboriginal Australians on the jetty at Point McLeay Mission Station, January 1923.

Views of Point McLeay Mission

c. 1905, Photograph, B 25762/1-28

A collection of photographs in an album that belonged to the Revd J.R. Digance, and carries the title 'Views of Point McLeay Aboriginal Mission' on the front page. There are variety of views of the building and people, most only with minimal description. See 'contents' for details of items.

Point McLeay wool washing schooner at jetty

c. 1880, Photograph, PRG 1258/2/1994

Distant side view of schooner 'Punkeri' at the end of the Point McLeay jetty, bringing wool for washing, from Narrung Station to Point McLeay. Wool can be seen laid out on the ground, between the building and jetty, with people working and shifting bales in the distance.

Camprell house at Point McLeay with shearers and others

c. 1885, Photograph, PRG 1258/2/2018

Camprell house, a stone building housing wool bales, with the wide doors open, and wool workers either side along the wall, some with shears, at Point McLeay. A plaque on the building bears the date 1875.

Sunday Morning Church

1900, Photograph, B 3631

[General description] A group of Aboriginal children are posing for the photographer in front of the church at Point McLeay. Men standing in the back row are displaying boomerangs.[On back of photograph] 'Concert Party of 1900 / of Church / Point McLeay'.