Aboriginal Artefacts – Thomas Henry McPaul

Thomas Henry McPaul taught at Tanja School from 20th June, 1885 to the end of October, 1889. when he left the school, members of the local Aboriginal community presented him with a collection of 9 tools including boomerangs, parrying shields, a standard shield and clubs. In 2004 an assessment of the Aboriginal artefacts in the Bega Pioneers’ Museum collection reported “The central carving of a hunter with tools on one side of item 16 (wooden parrying shield) appear to be those of the (McPaul) collection itself…which suggests this item was certainly made specifically for the presentation of the gift.”

Thomas Henry McPaul

1863 – 1940

Thomas Henry McPaul grew up at Wolumla near Bega. He qualified as a NSW state school teacher and started teaching in 1881. The whole of his working life was devoted to education and by all accounts he was dedicated, gifted and compassionate. Locally he taught at Wandella, Quaama, Tanja, Graigie (near Bombala) and Angledale. Whilst at Wandella in1882 the following words were written of him “his hope being active will induce to look more at the cheerful than at the gloomy side of things. He is able to easily forget the troubles and disappointments of life. He has an active fancy and lively imagination and he possesses the elements of a good taste….He has a large benevolence and he is kind-hearted, sympathetic, obliging and truly generous.”

The grandchildren of Thomas Henry McPaul have a clear understanding of how much he valued his time at the Tanja School. During the last years of Thomas Henry McPaul’s life, five of his grandchildren lived with him at “Tanja” house, the name he gave his home in Harbord, Sydney. Bek Jelbart, one of Thomas’ grandchildren has said “we grew up with them (the artefacts) and respected them greatly. In fact we were very proud of them.”
In June 2001 Bek Jelbart and Page McPaul, two of Thomas Henry McPaul’s grandchildren, determined that the artefacts should be returned to the Bega area. At the presentation ceremony Bek Jelbart said “….my brother Page and I feel the time has come for these artefacts to return to their home territory. We thought too, that their presence at the Museum would be a lasting memorial to Thomas Henry McPaul and would enable all his descendants and all the Aborigines in the Bega Valley District to share them with us.”

The Bega Pioneers’ Museum is honoured to be custodian of this collection. Research into “the story behind the story” is ongoing. We are working to trace more of the history of the Aboriginal community at Tanja at the time. We would also like to learn more about Thomas Henry McPaul as a teacher and, if possible, to learn why he developed such a strong mutual link with the Tanja community.