The Native Welfare Act 1963 repealed Aborigines Act 1905 and all the Acts that ammended the 1905 Act. Under the 1963 Act the Commissioner of Native Welfare ceased to be the guardian of Aboriginal children, but was responsible for the ‘custody, maintenance and education of the children of natives’. TheNative Welfare Act 1963 was repealed…
The Child Welfare Act 1947 was the principal legislation governing child welfare in Western Australia, regulating the treatment of children sent to WA as unaccompanied child migrants after 1947 as well as all others in out of home care in the State. The Act repealed the State Children Act 1907 (as amended to 1941) but…
The Natives (Citizenship Rights) Act 1944 (023 of 1944 (8 & 9 Geo. VI No. 23)) had the full title ‘An act to provide for the acquisition of full rights of citizenship by aborigine natives’. This law made it possible for Aboriginal people to make an application to a magistrate for citizenship, as long as…
The State Children Act came into effect in Western Australia in 1907. It repealed the Industrial Schools Act 1874 (and related Amendment Acts of 1877 and 1822) and the Industrial and Reformatory Schools Act 1893. Its stated purpose was ‘to make better provision for the Protection, Control, Maintenance, and Reformation of Neglected and Destitute Children,…
The Aborigines Act 1905 (Act no. 1905/014 (5 Edw. VII No.14) was reserved for Royal assent on 23 December 1905 and commenced in April 1906. It was ‘An Act to make provision for the better protection and care of the Aboriginal inhabitants of Western Australia.’ It governed the lives of all Aboriginal people in Western…
The Aborigines Act 1897 (Act no. 1897 (61 Vict. No.5)) was proclaimed on 28 March 1898. Its long title was ‘An Act to further amend the Constitution Act of 1889, and for the better Protection of the Aboriginal Race of Western Australia.’ It abolished the Aborigines Protection Board and established the Aborigines Department. The Act…
The Aborigines Protection Act 1886 (Act no. 1886 (50 Vict. No.25)) was passed on 2 Setember 1886 and commenced on 1 January 1887. The full title of the Act is ‘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…
The Industrial Schools Act 1874 (1874/011) was the first comprehensive attempt at child welfare legislation in Western Australia. The Act served double duty as a means to care for children identified as needy, and to be able to punish young offenders by sending them to gaol. These separate functions led to further amendments and resulted…
The Aboriginal Girls Protection 1844 (Act no. 1844 (8 Vict. No.6)) commenced on 1 August 1844. It had the long title of ‘An Act to Prevent the Enticing Away the Girls of the Aboriginal Race from School or from any Service in which they are Employed’. This legislation made it an offence to remove Aboriginal…
The Children and Community Services Act 2004 (Act no.2004/034) is the principal legislation governing the care and protection of children in Western Australia. It is administered by the government department responsible for the welfare of children. In 2014, this was the Department for Child Protection and Family Support. The purpose outlined in the Act is…
Dec 18, 2024
Nov 15, 2024
