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Way Commission, Province of South Australia

The Way Commission was an inquiry into the affairs of the Destitute Board which ran from 1883 to 1885. Officially known as the Royal Commission to Report on the Destitute Act 1881, it was commonly referred to as the Way Commission after Chief Justice Samuel Way who led the Inquiry. The Inquiry was sparked by…

Select Committee of the Legislative Council upon the Aborigines, Colony of South Australia

In September 1860 the Legislative Council of South Australia agreed to examine the social conditions of the Aboriginal people of South Australia in order to ascertain the impact of European settlement. A Select Committee conducted a ten day hearing and a report was tabled on 16 October 1860. In September 1860 the Legislative Council of…

Royal Commission on the Aborigines, State of South Australia

The Royal Commission on the Aborigines was appointed on 19 December 1912 to inquire into and provide a report on ‘the control, organisation and management of the institutions in this [South Australia] set aside for the benefit of the aborigines’. It was also asked to report ‘generally upon the whole question of the South Australian…

Apology for past forced adoption practices, Parliament of Queensland

On 27 November 2012, the Queenland government apologised for the hurt and harm caused by past forced adoption policies and practice. The Apology was issued by the Premier, Campbell Newman MP, on behalf of the Queensland Legislative Assembly. The apology reflected the recommendation made by the Australian Government Senate Committee Inquiry on the Commonwealth Contribution…

Apology to children who were wards of the state placed in adult mental health facilities, Parliament of Queensland

In February 2010, the Queensland government issued an Apology to those who, as children in the care of the State of Queensland, experienced or witnessed maltreatment or neglect, or were inappropriately placed in Queensland adult mental health facilities. The Apology acknowledged that the previous Queensland government apology to those who had been harmed while in…

Apology to those harmed in Queensland institutions during their childhood

In 1999, the Queensland government and church authorities issued an Apology to those who were harmed or suffered abuse in church- and state-run institutions during their childhood. The Apology was in response to the findings of the Forde Commission of Inqury into Abuse of Children in Queensland Institutions. It accepted the findings of the Forde…

Child Protection Commission of Inquiry, Queensland

The Queensland Child Protection Commission of Inquiry was established to review Queensland’s child protection system. The inquiry was headed by the Honourable Tim Carmody QC. The inquiry opened in 2012 and the final report was presented in 2013.

Commission of Inquiry into the Farm Home for Boys Westbrook, Queensland

The Commission of Inquiry into the Farm Home for Boys, Westbrook, was established by Order in Council 16 May 1961. The Commission was directed to look specifically at the circumstances surrounding the escape of a number of inmates on Sunday 14 May 1961. It also investigated other matters relating to the conduct of the institution…

Inquiry into the Abuse of Children in Foster Care, Queensland

A public inquiry into the Abuse of Children in Foster Care in Queensland was conducted by the Crime and Misconduct Commission in 2003. The report from the inquiry, Protecting Children: an inquiry into abuse of children in foster care, was published in January 2004.

Redress Scheme, Queensland

The Queensland Government introduced the Redress Scheme in May 2007. The scheme provided ex-gratia payments to victims of abuse and neglect as children in Queensland institutions. Applications for a payment under the scheme opened 1 October 2007 and closed 30 September 2008. The scheme was finalised in June 2010. After that date, any claims for…