King Plate - Brief History

Brief History

In the 19th century, king plates were given by numerous communities in various Australian States to esteemed Aboriginal men (there is a lack of information suggesting that these plaques were presented to women, although the men's wives were often referred to as Queen), who were usually elders of their particular tribal or kinship group. There have been suggestions that the presentation of king plates also had a great deal to do with whether or not the recipient was seen as useful or respected by the white Australian community of the area in question.

The plates were far less regal than a European monarch's crown jewels, consisting of a material composition of industrial metals such as brass or iron rather than the gold or silver that many leaders are more familiar with. A typical format of inscripting the king plates was to write the Aborigine's name across the upper part of the plate's face, with the title "King of ______" beneath, proceeded by the year of presentation. Some particularly distinguished Aboriginal characters are said to have ironically had the royal seal of Queen Victoria engraved somewhere on the plate to add an extra air of prestige.

The practice of presenting Aboriginal leaders with king plates declined in the post-Federation years, becoming virtually unheard of by the end of the 1930s. This could be attributed to shifts in racial relations in different parts of Australia, amongst other possible explanations.