In 1814, the first school for Aboriginal children was formed. It was presented as an opportunity for the Indigenous children, but it quickly became obvious that the Government's primary intention was to separate Indigenous families and conform the children to European ideals. By the 19th century, colonial governments stated their opposition to the inhuman treatment of Aboriginal, but they didn't have the power to stop the behavior and change the Europeans' attitude toward the Indigenous culture. The British government appointed a Select Committee to conduct an investigation which suggested they establish a Protectorate System. But the Protectorate System only served the needs of the white culture. It was put into effect on the assumption that the Indigenous population would respect European land claims and would reside only on reserved areas designated by the government.
Unsurprisingly, the attempt at establishing the Protectorate System failed. The very survival of the Indigenous population was put into question as, forced off their land, they became dependent on government rations, and battled malnutrition and disease. Their state made them an embarrassment to the Europeans and to the Government. The Government's response was to reserve land exclusively for the use of the Indigenous people, and to name a Chief Protector, or Protection Board whose primary responsibility was the welfare of the Aboriginal people. But what the Protectionist Legislation considered to be beneficial to the Indigenous people was completely self-serving. The rights of the parents were transferred to the Chief Protector and this legislation was enforced by the police thus removing any degree of control or freedom from the Aboriginal Population.
By the late 19th century, the full descent of Indigenous people was on the decline as quickly as the mixed population was increasing. The mixed population was not eligible for government support or land thus they were forced to join the white-dominant, hostile, prejudice workforce. In hopes of a complete merging of the white and Indigenous cultures, the government increased its rate of removal of mixed and indigenous children from Aboriginal families. In order to prevent families from reuniting, the Government would change the children's names and place them a great distance from their homes. Skin colour was considered the key as they assumed that the lighter a child's skin, the easier it would be for that child to integrate into a white culture. The government was trying to ensure extinction of the Aboriginal people.
In 1937, the first Commonwealth State Native Welfare Conference was held producing the first discussion at a national level of Aboriginal affairs. The result was the approval for all state authorities to focus their efforts on the goal of blending the Indigenous culture into the white culture. The non-Indigenous culture had no respect or appreciation for the value of the Indigenous culture. They considered it to be worthless, and definitely not worth preservation.
After 1940, the General Child Welfare law controlled the removal of Aboriginal children to little improvement. Indigenous children were still treated worse than non-Indigenous children, and although more funding was provided for the missions and state government institutions, parents received no compensation. It wasn't until 1966 that eligibility restrictions were removed from social security benefits, which were originally designed to preserve non-Indigenous families, allowing the Indigenous population accessibility. But the government continued to remove the children from Indigenous families, citing unfounded claims of neglect or abuse.
Finally, at the third Native Welfare Conference in 1951, the new Federal Minister for Territories, Paul Hasluck, vigorously promoted equal rights for Indigenous people. But, the consensus at the conference was for assimilation. During the 1950's they increased the removal of the children, their justification being only the advancement of assimilation. The children were placed in non-Indigenous families. By 1960, it was becoming obvious that the attempt at assimilation was a failure and it was replaced with integration, the difference being minimally significant.
In 1972, the election of the Whitlam Labor Government started financially supporting Indigenous groups in their fight for Aboriginal rights and for the termination of removal of Aboriginal children. The continuous uphill battle finally produced some significant results in the 1980's when Indigenous organizations and increased general awareness forced a change of the removal and placement practise. Indigenous services formulated the Aboriginal Child Placement Principle which has been incorporated into child welfare legislation, and protects the rights of Aboriginal children and adults.
The exact number of children that were removed from their families will never be known, but all Australian, Indigenous people have been affected by the Government's unrelenting attempts at assimilation.
Return to Stolen Generations - The Break-Up of Aboriginal Families
