Aboriginal Protection Act 1869 facts for kids
The Aboriginal Protection Act 1869 was an important law passed in the Australian colony of Victoria. This Act created a special group called the Central Board for the Protection of Aborigines. This new Board took over from an older one. The Act was very significant because it was the first time a colony in Australia made detailed rules about the lives of Aboriginal people.
The Act and the rules that followed gave the Board a lot of power. They could control where Aboriginal Victorians lived, if they could work, who they could marry, and even how they spent their free time. The Board also had power over the care of Aboriginal children.
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Understanding the Aboriginal Protection Act 1869
This law was a big step in how the government controlled the lives of Aboriginal people in Victoria. It set up a system that would affect many families for decades.
How the Act Started
In 1860, before the Act, the Victorian government had already set up a Central Board for Aboriginal people. They also created six special areas called Aboriginal reserves. These reserves were managed by people chosen by the Board. By 1869, about one-quarter of Aboriginal people in Victoria were living on these reserves.
The Aboriginal Protection Act 1869 gave the Board even more power. It allowed them to make Aboriginal people live on these reserves.
Life Under the Act's Rules
After the Act was passed, in 1871, the Board made even more rules. These rules controlled many parts of daily life for Aboriginal people. The Board decided where people could live and work. They also controlled who Aboriginal people could meet or marry.
However, not all Aboriginal people lived on reserves. By 1877, less than half of the Aboriginal people in Victoria were living on these managed areas.
The "Half-Caste Act" and Its Effects
In 1886, another law was passed, known as the Half-Caste Act. This law gave the Board the power to remove Aboriginal people of mixed Aboriginal and European heritage from the reserves. This applied to young people aged between eight and 34 years old.
The idea behind this policy was to reduce the number of people on reserves. It also aimed to separate people of mixed heritage from their communities. This policy caused great hardship for many people. It forced them to leave their homes and families on the reserves.
This policy was put into action just before a difficult economic time in the 1890s. This made life even harder for those who were forced to leave the reserves.
Changes Over Time
The policy of expelling people from reserves was later changed. Victoria passed the Aborigines Act 1910. This new law reversed some parts of the earlier Act. However, even with this change, the government still kept a lot of control over the lives of Aboriginal people in Victoria.
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