Dear Hannah, I have come across references of Aboriginal convict labour
being used to build the first lighthouse, next to the Round House.
Aborignal convict labour was used to mine salt on Rottnest and undoubtedly
to construct buildings.
 
Perhaps you may find information as to where Reverley got the design for
the Round House, in the Colonial Secretary's records under Public Works for
the 1830s in Public Records Office, Alexander Library Building. Cheers.
 
<message from Sally May  [log in to unmask]>
 
 
>Can anyone on the Histarch list pass along some information?
>
>In a message dated 97-09-11 13:05:13 EDT, you write:
>
>>Subj:  Query: Aboriginal slave building in Fremantle, Western Australia
>
>>To:    [log in to unmask]
>>
>>From:   IN%"[log in to unmask]" 11-SEP-1997 03:18:26.74
>>Subj:   The RoundHouse 1833, Fremantle, Western Australia
>>
>>
>>Hello, my name is Hannah McGlade, I am an Aboriginal lawyer from Australia
>>seeking information about a possible Aboriginal slave building in
>>Fremantle, Western Australia. This was the first building in West
>>Australian. It is made of a wall of 11 sides with lean-to cells on the
>>inside. We know that it was used to house Aboriginal men in particular and
>>was located on a large limestone outcrop. The limestone was quarried for
>>this and other British colonial buildings built nearby. Twenty years later,
>>a much later complex consisting of a similar round building was built on
>>Rottnest Island, an island 18 kilometres off the coast of Fremantle. A
>>drawing of the roundhouse can be viewed at
>>http://www.mkt.com.au/roundhou.nsf
>>
>>I have been informed that there is a similar building to the roundhouse on
>>the east coast of Africa. The building is a former slave building and is
>>currently a museum.
>>
>>I would appreciate any information or confirmation regarding the genre of
>>this building type. We are in the process of mounting an argument on the
>>basis that this building type has its origin as a slavery building not as a
>>building for housing prisoners.
>>
>>There is no evidence of systematic slavery existing in British colonial
>>Australia. However, the existence of these slave compounds, if it can be
>>demonstrated that their origin is in slavery, would confirm a immensely
>>important feature of early contact between the two cultures.
>>
>>
>>Thank you very much
>>H. McGlade
 
 
 
Jeremy Green
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