The Community Services Department was established on 31 May 1984, when the Community Services (Aborigines) Act 1984 and the Community Services (Torres Strait) Act 1984 were passed. It was previously known as the Aboriginal and Islanders Advancement Department, with the new department the policy was changed to promote equal opportunity in the Queensland Community for…
The Catholic Diocese of Cairns came into being on 8 July 1941. (Previously it was known as the Vicariate Apostolic of Cooktown). The Archives of the Catholic Diocese of Cairns are located at Bishop House.
The Director Of Native Affairs Office was responsible for the welfare of Queensland’s Aboriginal population who were deemed to be State Wards. Replacing the Chief Protector of Aboriginals Office, it was established in 1939 under the Aboriginals Preservation and Protection Act 1939. This Act represented a change in government policy from one of ‘protection and…
The Chief Protector of Aboriginals Office, established in 1904, was responsible for the welfare of Queensland’s Aboriginal population who were deemed to be State Wards. The Chief Protector operated according to a policy of separation and segregation in relation to Aborigines placed under State control. From 1898 to 1904, the protection system in Queensland had…
The Aboriginal and Island Affairs Department, which was previously called the Office of the Director of Native Affairs, was established in 1966. The Department managed the affairs of Queensland’s Aborigines who were deemed to be ‘assisted’ Aborigines or State Wards. Government policy at this time was stated as one of ‘complete equality’. The term ‘assisted’…
The Sisters of Mercy, Brisbane Congregation, a Catholic religious order of women from Ireland, was established on 10 May 1861 at the invitation of Bishop Quinn. The Sisters operated orphanages and industrial schools, before late moving away from institutional care to family group homes. The Sisters of Mercy, Brisbane Congregation joined the Australian Federation of…
Mater Mothers’ Hospital, in Brisbane, officially opened in 1960. (The Hospital’s foundation stone was blessed by Cardinal Spellman of New York and Archbishop Duhig of Brisbane in May 1948.) Mater Mothers’ Hospital was mentioned in the Commonwealth Contribution to Former Forced Adoption Policies and Practices Inquiry (2012) as an institution that was involved in forced…
The Queensland Corrective Services Commission, established in 1988, was responsible for determining policy in relation to the administration, management and control of corrective services. The Commission also had responsibility for all adult corrections functions, including supervision of offenders sentenced to community supervision orders, containing offenders, and ensuring rehabilitation of offenders. In 1999 the Commission was…
The Corrective Services Department replaced the Queensland Corrective Services Commission in 1999. The Corrective Services Department was responsible for the operation of custodial correctional centres which included supervision of offenders, their rehabilitation along with probation and parole services. In 2009 the Corrective Services Department was abolished and its functions transferred to the Community Safety Department.
In 2009 the Community Safety Department was established. It replaced the Corrective Services Department and the Emergency Services Department. The Community Safety Department was responsible for the administration of corrective and emergency services. In 2013 the Department of Community Safety was renamed the Public Safety Business Agency.