The ''Aborigines Protection Act 1909'' was a

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

statute that repealed the ''Supply of Liquors to Aborigines Prevention Act 1867'' with the aim of providing for the protection and care of

Aboriginal people Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...

in New South Wales, Australia. The Act gave the Board for the Protection of Aborigines control of the Aboriginal reserves in New South Wales and the lives of the people who lived on the reserves. Amendments to the Act in 1915 gave the

Aborigines Protection Board Aboriginal Protection Board, also known as Aborigines Protection Board, Board for the Protection of Aborigines, Aborigines Welfare Board (and in later sources, incorrectly as Aboriginal Welfare Board), and similar names, refers to a number of hi ...

in New South Wales broad powers to remove Aboriginal children from their families, resulting in the

Stolen Generations The Stolen Generations (also known as Stolen Children) were the children of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent who were removed from their families by the Australian federal and state government agencies and church miss ...

. The Act was in force from 1909 to 1969, when it was repealed by the ''

Aborigines Act 1969 The ''Aborigines Act 1969'' was an Act of the Parliament of New South Wales that repealed the ''Aborigines Protection Act 1909'', and alongside other regulations relating to Aboriginals in New South Wales. In 1983, the Act was repealed by the ' ...

''.

History

The ''Aborigines Protection Act 1909'' was introduced in

in 1909. It was the first piece of legislation that dealt specifically with Aboriginal people in New South Wales and repealed the ''Supply of Liquors to Aborigines Prevention Act 1867','' amended the ''Vagrancy Act 1902'', and the ''Police Offences (Amendment) Act 1908'' with the aim to provide for the protection and care of Aboriginal people in New South Wales, Australia. The Act gave the Board for the Protection of Aborigines control of the Aboriginal reserves in New South Wales, and the lives of the Aboriginal people who lived on these reserves. The Act applied to all Aboriginal people but contained particular provisions for children.

Amendment

In 1915 amendments to the ''Aborigines Protection Act 1909'' gave the New South Wales Aborigines Protection Board the power to remove any Aboriginal child from their family at any time and for any reason.

“The Board may assume full control and custody of the child of any aborigine, if after due inquiry it is satisfied that such a course is in the interest of the moral and physical welfare of such child. The Board may thereupon remove such child to such control and care as it thinks best.” Section 13A, ''Aborigines Protection Amending Act 1915''

Repealed

The ''Aborigines Protection Act 1909'' was further amended in 1918, 1936, 1940, 1943 and 1964. The ''Aborigines Protection Act 1909'' was repealed in 1969 by the ''

''; however the legacy of the legislation affected many Aboriginal families and members of the

in New South Wales.

References

{{Reflist New South Wales legislation 20th century in New South Wales Stolen Generations Legislation concerning indigenous peoples

History

Amendment

Repealed

See also

References