Aboriginal Protection Board
Encyclopedia
There was an Aboriginal Protection Board in a number of Australian States
with the function of "protecting" and regulating the lives of Indigenous Australians
. They were also responsible for administering the various Half-caste act
s where these existed and had a key role in the Stolen generations. The Board had nearly ultimate control over Aborigines' lives.
The Victoria
Aboriginal Protection Board, established by the Aboriginal Protection Act
of 1869 (replacing the Central Board Appointed to Watch Over the Interests of the Aborigines), made Victoria the first colony
to enact comprehensive regulations on the lives of Victorian Aborigines
. The Board for the Protection of Aborigines exerted an extraordinary level of control over people's lives including regulation of residence, employment, marriage, social life and other aspects of daily life.
The New South Wales
' Aborigines Protection Board was established in 1883, gaining legal power under the Aborigines Protection Act (1909) with wide ranging control over the lives of Aboriginal people, including the power to remove children from families, and the power to dictate where Aboriginal people lived. It also controlled their freedom of movement and personal finances. In particular, Aboriginal children (especially light-skinned ones) could be removed from their homes and families and taken into care to be raised like white children, thus starting the stolen generation
. The 1911 amendment to the Aboriginal Protection Act established Kinchela Boys Home and Cootamundra Girls Home for Aboriginal children. Aboriginal children were removed from their homes and transported to Kinchela and Cootamundra, where they were taught farm labouring and domestic work, many of them ending up as servants in the homes of wealthy Sydney residents.
The Board was renamed the Aborigines Welfare Board in 1940 under the Aborigines Protection (Amendment) Act (1940), which stipulated that Aboriginal people should be assimilated into mainstream white society. The Board consisted of 11 members, including two Aboriginal people, one full-blood and one having a mixture of Aboriginal blood. This essentially meant that Aboriginal culture should evaporate, and Aboriginal people should eventually become indistinguishable from Europeans. The Aborigines Welfare Board was abolished under the Aborigines Act (NSW) 1969.
The Western Australia
n Aborigines Protection Board operated between 1 January 1886 and 1 April 1898 as a Statutory authority
under An Act to provide for the better protection and management of the Aboriginal natives of Western Australia, and to amend the law relating to certain contracts with such Aboriginal natives (statute 25/1886); An Act to provide certain matters connected with the Aborigines (statute 24/1889).
There were also Aboriginal Protection Boards in Queensland
and South Australia
. Aborigines Welfare Board in New South Wales was abolished in 1969. By then all states and territories had repealed the legislation allowing for the removal of Aboriginal children under the policy of 'protection'.
States and territories of Australia
The Commonwealth of Australia is a union of six states and various territories. The Australian mainland is made up of five states and three territories, with the sixth state of Tasmania being made up of islands. In addition there are six island territories, known as external territories, and a...
with the function of "protecting" and regulating the lives of Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
. They were also responsible for administering the various Half-caste act
Half-caste act
Half-Caste Act was the common name given to Acts of Parliament passed in Victoria and Western Australia in 1886. They became the model for legislation of Aboriginal communities throughout Australia, such as the Aboriginal Protection and restriction of the sale of opium act 1897 in...
s where these existed and had a key role in the Stolen generations. The Board had nearly ultimate control over Aborigines' lives.
The Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
Aboriginal Protection Board, established by the Aboriginal Protection Act
Aboriginal Protection Act
The Aboriginal Protection Act, enacted in 1869 by the colony of Victoria, Australia gave extensive powers over the lives of Aboriginal people to the government's Board for the Protection of Aborigines, including regulation of residence, employment and marriage....
of 1869 (replacing the Central Board Appointed to Watch Over the Interests of the Aborigines), made Victoria the first colony
Colony
In politics and history, a colony is a territory under the immediate political control of a state. For colonies in antiquity, city-states would often found their own colonies. Some colonies were historically countries, while others were territories without definite statehood from their inception....
to enact comprehensive regulations on the lives of Victorian Aborigines
Victorian Aborigines
The Indigenous Australians of Victoria, Australia occupied the land for tens of thousands of years prior to European settlement. According to Gary Presland Aborigines have lived in Victoria for about 40,000 years living a semi-nomadic existence of fishing, hunting and gathering, and farming...
. The Board for the Protection of Aborigines exerted an extraordinary level of control over people's lives including regulation of residence, employment, marriage, social life and other aspects of daily life.
The New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
' Aborigines Protection Board was established in 1883, gaining legal power under the Aborigines Protection Act (1909) with wide ranging control over the lives of Aboriginal people, including the power to remove children from families, and the power to dictate where Aboriginal people lived. It also controlled their freedom of movement and personal finances. In particular, Aboriginal children (especially light-skinned ones) could be removed from their homes and families and taken into care to be raised like white children, thus starting the stolen generation
Stolen Generation
The Stolen Generations were the children of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent who were removed from their families by the Australian Federal and State government agencies and church missions, under acts of their respective parliaments...
. The 1911 amendment to the Aboriginal Protection Act established Kinchela Boys Home and Cootamundra Girls Home for Aboriginal children. Aboriginal children were removed from their homes and transported to Kinchela and Cootamundra, where they were taught farm labouring and domestic work, many of them ending up as servants in the homes of wealthy Sydney residents.
The Board was renamed the Aborigines Welfare Board in 1940 under the Aborigines Protection (Amendment) Act (1940), which stipulated that Aboriginal people should be assimilated into mainstream white society. The Board consisted of 11 members, including two Aboriginal people, one full-blood and one having a mixture of Aboriginal blood. This essentially meant that Aboriginal culture should evaporate, and Aboriginal people should eventually become indistinguishable from Europeans. The Aborigines Welfare Board was abolished under the Aborigines Act (NSW) 1969.
The Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
n Aborigines Protection Board operated between 1 January 1886 and 1 April 1898 as a Statutory authority
Statutory authority
A statutory authority is a body set up by law which is authorised to enforce legislation on behalf of the relevant country or state. They are typically found in countries which are governed by a British style of parliamentary democracy. They are common in the UK, Australia, New Zealand etc but...
under An Act to provide for the better protection and management of the Aboriginal natives of Western Australia, and to amend the law relating to certain contracts with such Aboriginal natives (statute 25/1886); An Act to provide certain matters connected with the Aborigines (statute 24/1889).
There were also Aboriginal Protection Boards in Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
and South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
. Aborigines Welfare Board in New South Wales was abolished in 1969. By then all states and territories had repealed the legislation allowing for the removal of Aboriginal children under the policy of 'protection'.
External links
- Documenting Democracy at the National Archives of Australia
- http://www.daa.nsw.gov.au/about/history.html History of the NSW Aborigines Protection Board
- http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/brani/themes/theme3.html History of Aborigional Affairs in NSW