Our History
From the "Dreamtime"
Our History From the "Dreamtime" |
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There are 144 Local Governments in Western Australia including Christmas and Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Indian Ocean.
Rangers are Local Government law enforcement officers responsible for the management of a number of Acts of Parliament and Local Laws within Council's jurisdiction. Over approximately 30 years, Rangers have been a part of West Australian communities employed by local Councils, their duties and authority are quite varied.
Rangers, their involvement in animal control and other duties, and the history of Western Australia, have often raised a number of interesting questions.
Who are Australia's indigenous people?
How did introduced species such as the dingo and European dog enter Australia?
How did this eventually impact and create a requirement for animal control legislation?
Who would be responsible for animal control?
Who are WA Rangers and exactly what do they do?
How and why did multi-skilled duties in municipal law enforcement evolve?
The indigenous people of this country, the Australian Aborigines, have roamed this land for many millenniums having a number of tribal languages and cultures. Today, Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders make up only 1.5% of the Australian population, this is a brief look at their history, animals in their culture, the introduction of dingoes and modern Australia with its animal management.
Animals in the "Dreamtime" Aboriginal stories of the mythical giant creatures of the "Dreamtime" are passed from generation to generation and enshrine memories of the past. Is this Australia's original "Animal Control Officer"? |
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The Dreamtime is the spiritual past of the Aboriginal people. It is from here comes the belief that the dingo can see into the supernatural, it is a watchdog, warning of the approach of evil spirits. In dog dreaming their ancestor was part human, part dingo from which all people came, this was the belief in some areas. From the Dreamtime comes some of the beautiful galleries of rock art painted on many caves and walls throughout Australia. |
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The First
Australians Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders Australia's first inhabitants were Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders. When and how indigenous peoples of Australia first arrived is a matter for conjecture. However, it appears most likely the indigenous people of Australia arrived in successive waves of migration from South East Asia between 50,000 and 150,000 years ago, generally accepted radiocarbon datings support evidence of human habitation at least 40,000 years ago. Estimates of Australia's population before European contact range between 300,000 and one million.
What followed was a period of cultural isolation, resulting in the world's most
distinctive artistic traditions. According to the Aborigine beliefs, their ancestors
"The great spirits of the dreaming " created the land. At the beginning of time,
it was the great spirits who fashioned the hills, rivers, water holes and rock formation.
Being all powerful, they also controlled the movements of the planets and stars of the
universe, the seasons, rain clouds and tides, thus it was through the myths that grew up
around the ancestor figures that Aborigine law and custom was established. Aborigines also
believed that in the process of telling these myths, be it in dance, song, or painting,
they were able to draw on the power and influence of the ancestral spirits.
Aboriginal Flag
The success of Aboriginal musical performers such as Bran Nue Dae, Yothu Yindi, singers Archie Roach and Christine Anu, authors Herb Wharton, Sally Morgan and Oodgeroo Noonuccal, and countless Aboriginal visual artists attest to the international popularity of and respect for Australia's rich indigenous culture. |
| In South Western Australia, the Nyoongar people have been hunter/gatherers for many centuries. They are wonderful people who have high regard for life and the land, conservationists by nature, taking only what they need to survive. A nomadic, family based people, observing strict tribal laws and morality. |
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CANIS FAMILIARIS DINGO
(Dog, Wild Dog, Warrigal)
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Dingoes are thought to have been
introduced into Australia by Asian seafarers who had strong trade links. A member of an
equatorial group of primitive dogs, but like the coyote and timber wolf of the northern
hemisphere, the dingo survived and thrived in extreme climates.
Dingoes are carnivores, opportunistic predators on a wide range of vertebrates and
invertebrates. Mammals and marsupials make up 60% of their diet, reptiles and birds make
up the remainder. They have also adapted to be nocturnal hunters to increase the range of
their menu. An adult male and female usually associate as a permanent pair and cooperate
in rearing their young breeding only once a year in the wild. Because sheep are sometimes
included in their diet, the dingo has long been regarded as vermin and as such are hunted,
trapped and poisoned. In an attempt to exclude it from eastern and southern grazing lands,
the worlds longest fence was erected, the dingo proof fence is some 10,000 kilometers
long.
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This Ranger in North Western Australia has come across three dingoes that have been shot and hung in a tree, probably by a local property owner trying to protect grazing stock. |
Dingoes will eventually become extinct but not from hunting, trapping or poisoning.
Dingoes are wild animals but still dogs and will interbreed. 75% of south eastern dingoes
are now crossbred with European dogs.
Animals and the Aboriginal Culture
Dingoes were quickly adopted into the lives of the Aboriginal people and the interest
shown in dingoes may have been due to the difference between them and any other animals in
Australia. As in the case of the Tasmanian Tiger (Thylacine) a carnivorous marsupial,
dingoes are avid hunters and carnivores but gave birth in a manner similar to humans. For
these and many other reasons, dingoes were accepted as "members of the family"
and given names. In later years, communities of mission background considered dingoes to
be useful such as a companion, hunter and protector but in communities of non-mission
background its only role was in detecting the supernatural. In spite of the close
relationship, during food shortages the Aboriginal people ate dingoes, these were wild not
domestic dogs.
To this day, dingoes are regarded as very powerful wild animals, unpredictably dangerous! It is alleged to be responsible for the disappearance of baby Azaria Chamberland at Ayers Rock in the Northern Territory 1980 and the death of 9 year old Clinton Gage on Fraser Island 30th April 2001. On Fraser Island alone, there have been 20 known attacks in the past 6 years, the latest fatal attack resulted in an immediate cull of dingoes on the Island.
Dogs remain an important part of Aboriginal life and culture. A community without dogs would be totally unthinkable as they are part of an Aboriginal person's family. When the owner of a dog passes on, the dog is usually inherited by a family member and it is believed that the spirit of the owner who has died, remains with that dog.
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The children of the Outback today, enjoy life and learn the ways
of old from tribal elders handed down from generation to generation. The environment
and the animals they share it with, remain of great importance!
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The transition from our early days as a new colony through to today's modern Australian society, saw a rapid rise in the number of dogs and the need for animal control and welfare laws.
Companion animals play a very large part in our lives with 66% of Australian homes owning at least one pet, making us one of the largest pet owning communities in the world. Of those that do not have a pet, 53% would if they had suitable accommodation. There are an estimated 3.9 million dogs in Australia with 341,000 in Western Australia where animal control and other law enforcement is carried out by Local Government Rangers.
The first known Ranger in Western Australia was appointed to round up straying cattle. This photo shows Mr Jarvis and sons and was taken in 1930 near Perry Lakes, City of Perth. > Archive photo use by kind permission Town of Cambridge. |
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The first modern day Rangers were authorised about 1972. They had no training, no uniforms or even a job description but in time started to become organised. A small number formed an association in 1978 known as the "Municipal Law Enforcement Officers Association Inc" and through this fledgling group started to raise the profile and reputation of Local Government Rangers.
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| Two photos above taken 1977, show one of the first City of Perth "Park" Rangers with a uniform, vehicle and the job of looking after recreational areas and wildlife with other officers being appointed to either parking, dog or litter control. |
Changing Direction
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Prior to this in the early days of municipal law enforcement, each officer had his or her specific job and duties to perform. Training began through MLEOA. Changes were on the way! Multi-skilled enforcement patrols were being introduced with outstanding results. |
What are multi-skilled duties? Yes, in the beginning officers were dedicated to parking, dog control, park care or litter control, one person, one job only. This was eventually viewed as a waste of human resources. Councils soon realised the value of training and authorising their officers to perform a number of duties and to enforce more than one or two laws relating to Local Government operations. The result, "Community Rangers" provided a better service to residents, business community and visitors in their areas. |
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West Australian Rangers are unique in their ability to perform a number of functions at a highly professional level, thus making the Ranger a "Specialist" and a "General Practitioner". Animal care & control, fire fighting, traffic & off road vehicle control, litter control, beach patrols and providing community education programs are all part of their everyday work in Australia's largest State.
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Whether taking a lost dog home to its family or fighting out of control bushfires, our WA Rangers are highly trained, fully equipped and ready to deal with any situations as they develop. Having looked at some history of Western Australia and the WA Ranger, return to the "Home" page and click on "Ranger Duties". This will open a new index providing the reader with a detailed look at the work and duties of the WA Ranger. |
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