Aboriginal timeline: Politics

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1910

  1. The Victorian Aborigines Act permitted the Board for Protection of Aborigines to help ‘half-castes’ by licensing needy persons to live on stations.

  2. The Aborigines Protection Board Act is passed, giving the Board ‘legal’ control over Aboriginal people on stations and reserves but not missions, in the Northern Territory.

1908

  1. The Invalid and Old Age Pensioner Act provides social security for some but not for Aboriginal people.

1905

  1. The Western Australian government passes the Aborigines Act 1905 which commences in April 1906. It is designed to better protect and care of the Aboriginal people of Western Australia but in reality ruled over all aspects of Aboriginal lives for nearly 60 years. The Act created the position of Chief Protector of Aborigines who became the legal guardian of every Aboriginal child to the age of 16 years, and permitted authorities to remove Aboriginal children from their families. It establishes reserves and sets the rules governing Aboriginal employment.

  2. Walter Roth, Chief Protector of Aborigines in Queensland, who had been appointed to work for the Royal Commission on the Condition of the Natives, releases his report. Although mild in his criticism, the report stirred a vast response in the press with many articles reporting about the "slavery" in Western Australia. Roth's findings led to the passing of the Aborigines Act 1905 in December that year.

    The full report is available on the website of the Western Australian Parliament.

1904

  1. The Queensland Government takes control of the Torres Strait Islands from the London Missionary Society. Torres Strait Islanders become subject to the Queensland Aboriginal Protection Act and wards of State.

1902

  1. The Commonwealth Parliament passes the Commonwealth Franchise Act 1902 which grants men and women in all states the right to vote in federal elections, but denies it to every ‘aboriginal native’ of Australia, Asia, Africa, or the Islands of the Pacific (if they not already had the right to vote in state elections at the time of the Act).

1901

  1. The government introduces the white Australia policy, trying to ban all non-Caucasian people from entering the country.

  2. Federation - The Commonwealth Constitution states "in reckoning the numbers of people… Aboriginal natives shall not be counted". It also states that the Commonwealth would legislate for any race except Aboriginal people. This leaves the power over Aboriginal Affairs with the states.

1895

  1. All adult females in South Australia, including Aboriginal females, win the right to vote.

1893

  1. In an amendment to the Constitution Act 1889 Western Australia extends voting rights to include all British male subjects over the age of 21, but not Aboriginal males.

1889

  1. A judgement of the Lords of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council finds that New South Wales, at the time of the arrival of the British, was in fact "a tract of territory practically unoccupied, without settled inhabitants or settled law" and that it was "peacefully annexed". The ruling goes on to become the skeleton of Australian law with no court daring to rule against it.

1885

  1. The Queensland Elections Act 1885 excludes all Aboriginal people from voting.

References

View article sources (0)

[124214] 'Now is the time to recognise that Australia is 'one and free'', SMH 31/12/2020
[163718] '‘This will change Australia’: Linda Burney says Labor committed to Indigenous Voice', SMH 23/5/2022
[163718a] 'Who’s in, who’s out? How Indigenous candidates fared in the Federal election', National Indigenous Times 21/5/2022
[163718b] 'First preferences by candidate', Australian Electoral Commission, 24/5/2022 as of 7:53 pm AEST, available at tallyroom.aec.gov.au/SenateStateFirstPrefs-27966-NSW.htm
[163718c] 'FULL LIST: Record number of Indigenous MPs voted in to serve the Australian people', National Indigenous Times 23/5/2022

Cite this page

Korff, J 2024, Aboriginal timeline: Politics, <https://www.creativespirits.info/aboriginalculture/history/australian-aboriginal-history-timeline/politics?page=9&///>, retrieved 28 March 2024

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