[“St John’s (Newfoundland) Relief Fund”, The West Australian, Saturday 01 October 1892, page 3]
St John’s (Newfoundland) Relief Fund.
Public Meeting At The Town Hall.
...
The attendance was only moderate. His Excellency the Governor presided, and there were also on the platform, Chief Justico Onslow, Mr. Justice Hensman, Sir John Forrest, Bishops Parry and Gibney, the Rev. Father Bourke, the Mayor (Mr. S. H. Parker). Messes. J. C. H. James, W. Traylen, Thomas, Bates, E. Von Bibra, and Capt. Stuart, A.D.C.
...
Bishop GIBNEY said there was no question as to the generosity of the people of West Australia. It was a colony of abundance, and during his experience with it he had never seen one who was not able to throw money away in some manner or other. It was a nobler thing by far to give than to receive, and he thoroughly believed the giver would meet with his reward. He believed that God rewarded the people for their ‘good acts’, as He scourged them for their bad deeds. In the North, the people had been cruel to the blacks, and for one native life that was taken God had punished the settlers by taking away 100 or more sheep. If we dealt generously with others they would be generous to us. He had no doubt that his countrymen would respond liberally to the appeal.
AB notes:
Gibney overstepped the mark by implying that drought-related stock losses were punishment for bad treatment of Aborigines, and the pastoralists were quick to retaliate. See several below.
