Portrait of Anthony Martin Fernando by Raj Nagi – National Museum of Australia, Canberra - here

Name

Salvation Army Hostel

Connection

This is the starting point for the story of Anthony Fernando, an Australian Aboriginal man who lived in exile, protesting the fate of his race.

Location

116 Middlesex Street, London, E1 (demolished)

How to get there

Nearest underground station: Liverpool Street (Central Line)

Story

Anthony Martin Fernando (6 April 1864 - 9 January 1949) was born in Woolloomooloo, New South Wales, as a member of the Dharug nation. He spent most of his life overseas in self-imposed exile. He made a living mostly as a toy seller, but devoted all his energies to protest about the treatment of Aboriginal people in Australia. Various sites around London have traces of Fernando's activities – including Speaker's Corner in Hyde Park and most famously Australia House in the Strand.

Anthony Fernando outside Australia House

‘Against the solid stone of Australia House stands….a black man, hatless and with a grey beard, a mere handful of a man, with the fine bones of an Australian Aborigine. He is old, and the cold is biting him…..[On his] great coat is pinned from top to bottom…..scores of those little white penny skeletons that the street vendors sell to children….Good Lord- the man is a walking graveyard! Yet his eyes are on fire. He points to the penny skeletons and shouts as the people pass: ‘This is all that Australia has left of my people.’

From: Brown, M., Fernando: the story of an aboriginal prophet, Aborigine Welfare Bulletin – 1964; v.4, no.1

However, we start our story of Fernando outside 116 Middlesex Street, at which once stood a Salvation Army hostel. During the 1920's we know that Fernando stayed here. Middlesex Street was formerly called Petticoat Lane. In the 1920’s the street contained a bustling market as it does every weekend today. Here is a picture of what it would have looked like in 1927.

Still from YouTube clip of London in 1927 – here

For a brief period between 26 October 1929 and 26 January 1930, we know much more about Fernando’s experiences in London through his diaries. These wonderful records are digitised and can be found – here. They make for challenging reading as they contain the many derogatory comments he received.

Here is an extract from one of the diaries:

“Thursday 5-12-29: Heavily raining attempted trading. Montigue [Old Montague St, nr Brick Lane] stall market about the streets Wentworth [which becomes Old Montague Street] But no good. I was subjected at Breakfast & at dinner time at the Salvation lodging Middelsex st by young Irish men & mootchers that generally Hang about.”

Further information

There are numerous references about the life of Anthony Fernando. I recommend: 

Paisley, F., The Lone Protestor: A M Fernando in Australia and Europe, Canberra, Aboriginal Studies Press, 2012

Fernando's biography – here

Wikipedia article – here

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