Assimilation, racism and Aboriginal labour in Robinvale: ‘Speaking back’ to White narratives

This article examines housing and assimilation in the Victorian country town of Robinvale during the late 1960s, when members of the Aboriginal community were relocated from the Manatunga housing settlement into homes in the township. I will argue that racist attacks made on the Aboriginal community and published by local newspapers during this time portrayed the community in a derogatory way, and I will demonstrate that this negative commentary continues to impact members of the community today. With a key focus on oral histories, this article will also examine the important Aboriginal workforce in Robinvale from the 1940s to the 1970s that has been historically ignored and unacknowledged by the wider community.