The government and the pastoralists used the mainstream press to give their account of the strike. They dismissed the strike as merely the work of a few malcontents, especially Communists, and played down its effects, in order to counter any outside support for it.
Government and Pastoralists Downplay Strike's Effects
Citation
West Australian, 4 May 1946, p. 14, ‘Natives’ Dispute: Commissioner’s View: “Easy Prey for Malcontents.”’
Related Sources
Native Persecution is Denounced: Big Perth Protest
Once the strike began, a fierce propaganda battle began in which the opposing sides gave highly partial accounts of it in order to win public support: on the one hand, the government and the pastoralists told stories in which they sought to minimise the impact of the strike; on the other, the sympathisers of the strike gave the impression of a highly successful industrial action by the Aboriginal people.
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