James Noble (clergyman)
James Noble | |
|---|---|
| Born | c. 1876 |
| Died | 1941-11-25 |
| Occupation | Anglican clergyman |
| Known for | First Aboriginal Anglican deacon in Australia; investigation of the Forrest River massacre |
James Noble (circa 1876 – 25 November 1941) holds the distinction of being the inaugural Aboriginal clergyman within the Anglican Church of Australia and played a significant role in probing the Forrest River massacre.
Early life
During the early 1890s, Noble was employed as a stockman, with his origins believed to be in North Queensland. Subsequently, he was stationed at Invermien near Scone, New South Wales, where he underwent baptism in July 1895.
Clerical career
Noble became affiliated with the Yarrabah Mission close to Cairns, Queensland in 1896, becoming an essential collaborator in superintendent Ernest Gribble's missionary initiatives. He first married Maggie Frew, who bore him a son; both passed away shortly thereafter. Later, he wed Angelina, and together they had six children.
In 1914, the family relocated to the revived Forrest River Mission, dedicating eighteen years to service there. Noble was ordained as Australia's first Aboriginal Anglican deacon at St George's Cathedral, Perth in September 1925.
Utilizing his expertise in tracking during 1926, Noble investigated allegations of police brutality near Forrest River. His findings indicated that Aboriginal individuals had been bound to trees, shot, and their bodies desecrated and incinerated. He provided testimony in 1927 before a Royal Commission which concluded that police were probably accountable for eleven killings, although no specific perpetrators were named.
In 1932, Noble returned to Yarrabah and collaborated once more with Gribble at the mission on Palm Island. Due to deteriorating health, he retired in 1934 and went back to Yarrabah, where he passed away in 1941 following a fall.