The Aborigines Protection (Amendment) Act 1943 (13/1943) created ‘exemption certificates’ which enabled an Aboriginal person to argue they should no longer be deemed to be ‘an aborigine or a person apparently having an admixture of aboriginal blood’, and could thus escape the provisions of the Aborigines Protection Act and enjoy similar freedoms to white people….
The Aborigines Protection (Amendment) Act 1963 was an ‘An Act to remove certain restrictions imposed by the Aborigines Protection Act, 1909-1943, upon aborigines; for this and other purposes to amend the said Act’. It repealed some of the more restrictive elements of the Aborigines Protection Act. Magistrates could no longer send ‘mixed blood’ Aboriginal people…
The Aborigines Protection (Amendment) Act 1940 was ‘An Act to provide for the dissolution of The Board for the Protection of Aborigines and for the constitution of an Aborigines Welfare Board; to amend the Aborigines Protection Act, 1909-1936, in certain respects’. It replaced the Aborigines Protection Board with the Aborigines Welfare Board. This was a…
The Child Welfare Act 1939 (17/1939) repealed the Child Welfare Act 1923. Its full title was ‘An Act to consolidate and amend the law relating to children and young persons; to repeal the Child Welfare Act, 1923, and the Child Welfare (Amendment) Act, 1924; to amend the Interstate Destitute Persons Relief Act, 1919, and certain…
The Child Welfare Act 1923 was ‘An Act to Amend and consolidate certain acts relating to children.’ It abolished the State Children’s Relief Board and created the Child Welfare Department. It also replaced a range of previous acts relating to children. These were the State Children Relief Act 1901, the Children’s Protection Act 1902, the…
The Aborigines Protection (Amendment) Act 1936 (32/1936) was ‘An Act to make further provisions as to the protection and care of aborigines; to amend the Aborigines Protection Act, 1909, and certain other Acts, in certain respects’. It further extended the powers of the State Government over Aboriginal people – in effect, it treated all Aboriginal…
The Aborigines Protection Act 1909 (25/1909) was ‘An Act to provide for the protection and care of aborigines; to repeal the Supply of Liquors to Aborigines Prevention Act; to amend the Vagrancy Act, 1902, and the Police Offences (Amendment) Act, 1908; and for purposes consequent thereon or incidental thereto.’ It provided the Aborigines Protection Board,…
The Aborigines Protection Amending Act 1915 was a significant increase in the powers of the Aborigines Protection Board. It allowed the Board to assume parental rights over Aboriginal children and to remove children ‘of any aborigine’ without Court orders, or parental consent, and treat children ‘absconding’ from care as ‘neglected’ under the Neglected Children and…
The Neglected Children and Juvenile Offenders Act 1905 16/1905) was a substantial law which applied in New South Wales, as well as in the Australian Capital Territory. Its full title was ‘An Act to make better provision for the protection, control, education, maintenance, and reformation of neglected and uncontrollable children and juvenile offenders; to provide…
The Infant Protection Act of 1904 (27/1904) was also known as ‘An Act to make further and better provision for the protection, maintenance, education and care of infants; and to provide for the inspection, supervision, and control of places established or used for their reception and care.’ It was intended to reduce infant mortality amongst…