Patrick James Killoran,by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community in Queensland, (1922–2010) was a

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

the head of that state's Department of Aboriginal and Islander Affairs. He worked as Protector of Islanders on

Thursday Island Thursday Island, colloquially known as TI, or in the Kawrareg dialect, Waiben or Waibene, is an island of the Torres Strait Islands, an archipelago of at least 274 small islands in the Torres Strait. TI is located approximately north of Cape ...

in 1948, before being made Director of the Sub-Department of Native Affairs in 1964, a position maintained until his retirement in 1985. Killoran remained opposed to the payment of award wages to

Indigenous Australian Indigenous Australians or Australian First Nations are people with familial heritage from, and membership in, the ethnic groups that lived in Australia before British colonisation. They consist of two distinct groups: the Aboriginal peoples ...

workers, and was implicated in the removal of Aboriginal children from their parents (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 ...

). He oversaw the police raid on an Aboriginal community at

Mapoon Mapoon is a coastal town in the Aboriginal Shire of Mapoon and a locality split between the Aboriginal Shire of Mapoon and the Shire of Cook in Queensland, Australia. In the , Mapoon had a population of 317 people. History Pre-European settleme ...

, on the

Cape York Peninsula Cape York Peninsula is a large peninsula located in Far North Queensland, Australia. It is the largest unspoiled wilderness in northern Australia.Mittermeier, R.E. et al. (2002). Wilderness: Earth’s last wild places. Mexico City: Agrupación ...

. Families were forced from their homes, which were burnt to the ground. This was to make the land available for aluminium mining. The people were then moved to form the community of New Mapoon. He also ran as a

National Party of Australia The National Party of Australia, also known as The Nationals or The Nats, is an List of political parties in Australia, Australian political party. Traditionally representing graziers, farmers, and regional voters generally, it began as the Au ...

candidate for the Queensland state seat of Cook (which included Cape York and the

Torres Strait The Torres Strait (), also known as Zenadh Kes, is a strait between Australia and the Melanesian island of New Guinea. It is wide at its narrowest extent. To the south is Cape York Peninsula, the northernmost extremity of the Australian mai ...

) in 1983, but attracted just 17 per cent of the vote. Killoran died in 2010.

References

https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/torres-strait-20160310-gnfle7.html

References

Further reading