GRAVESTONE AND MEMORIAL - THOMAS SHADRACH JAMES

Thomas Shadrach James was an Indian from Mauritius who in 1881, aged 22, came to Maloga Mission to live with our Yorta Yorta people, taking on the role of School Teacher. Then in 1888, after joining our people on their move to Cummeragunga Mission, his role grew to include: School Headmaster, Doctor, Dentist, Church Minister, Sunday School Teacher, Herbalist, Healer, Masseuse, Electoral Officer and Cricket Coach. He avidly taught our Ancestors over and above the level of education allowed for our people, and he provided these extra teachings after hours in what is famously known as the 'Scholars Hut'. There, by his own words, he taught 'leading and writing', world politics, and that 'the pen is mightier than the sword'. He lived and taught among us for 41 years, was loved by all and was honoured publicly by both our Yorta Yorta and the broader community at least seven times. He worked hard to build the self-belief of his students by consistently reinforcing that "you are as good as white man", which was necessary at that time when they were not considered Australian citizens in their own country, and therefore treated very poorly. This approach worked, with many incredible leaders and athletes coming out of Cummeragunga, with the confidence to stand on an equal footing with white man. Many of whom credited Grampa James for his love and high standard of education. These include but are not limited to: Sir Pastor Doug Nicholls, George and Jack Patten, Marg Tucker, William Cooper. William Cooper was a little older, but still gave credit to Thomas and Shadrach as having been a great influence on him in his early years.

After being forcibly retired in 1921 for empowering our Yorta Yorta Ancestors too much, Grampa moved to Fitzroy with his wife Ada, and their son Shadrach, and there he and Shadrach established the Aborigines Progressive Association out of his home. When Uncle William Cooper and others arrived in Melbourne in approximately 1933, Grampa handed over leadership of the APA to his brother-in-law William and returned to Mooroopna to settle and establish the APA here.

Thomas and his wife Ada now lay together in unmarked graves at Cummeragunga Cemetery. Given his incredible legacy to our people, it is now time that he was honoured appropriately - through the establishment of a gravestone and memorial, that are fitting and memorialise him for all he did for our people.

In 2014 my father George Nelson and I launched our book Dharmalan Dana (see link below) and started fundraising for Grampa's Grave. Then life took us in a different direction. It is now time to build on the money that was raised then, being: $1232.73

Please refer to our book Dharmalan Dana for further information about Grampa at: https://press.anu.edu.au/publications/series/aboriginal-history/dharmalan-dana

or to the ABC Radio website for the Scholar's Hut Story: https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/the-history-listen/the-scholars-hut/12736892