Aboriginal reserve facts for kids

An Aboriginal reserve was a special area of land set aside by the government for Aboriginal people. These places were created under different laws from the 1800s to the 1960s. Along with missions, reserves were used to keep Aboriginal people separate from the white Australian population. The governments at the time believed this separation was necessary for various reasons. Laws about Aboriginal reserves gave governments a lot of power over the lives of Aboriginal people.

People called Protectors of Aborigines and later Aboriginal Protection Boards were put in charge of looking after Aboriginal people's interests.

Why Were Aboriginal Reserves Created?

Aboriginal reserves were used from the 1800s to keep Aboriginal people separate. Often, this was said to be for their "protection."

From 1836, people called Protectors of Aborigines were appointed. For example, Matthew Moorhouse was the first Chief Protector in South Australia in 1839. The Governor said Aboriginal people should have the same legal protection as other settlers. Schools and reserves were set up.

In the late 1800s, colonial governments passed laws to "protect" Aboriginal people. This was partly to reduce fighting over land and to help Aboriginal people who were suffering from diseases. The idea was that by setting aside land, conflicts would stop. It was also hoped Aboriginal people would farm this land and rely less on government help.

Government Boards and Laws

Aboriginal Protection Boards were created in most states to manage these reserves and the lives of Aboriginal people.

• In Victoria, the Aboriginal Protection Act 1869 set up a board.
• Queensland's Aboriginals Protection and Restriction of the Sale of Opium Act 1897 aimed for "better protection and care" of Aboriginal people. It created regional Protectors and a Chief Protector.
• In Western Australia, the Aborigines Act 1897 created the Aborigines Department.
• New South Wales had the Aborigines Protection Act 1909. This law gave the Board for the Protection of Aborigines control over reserves and the people living on them. Changes to this law in 1915 gave the Board power to remove Aboriginal children from their families. This led to the Stolen Generations.
• In South Australia, missionaries looked after Aboriginal people for a while. Later, in 1912, the Aborigines' Office was formed. In 1918, an Advisory Council of Aborigines was appointed to control missions. The Aborigines Act Amendment Act 1939 created the Aboriginal Protection Board.
• The Northern Territory Aboriginals Act 1910 was passed by the South Australian parliament before the Northern Territory became federal land. Later, the Aboriginals Ordinance 1918 made the Chief Protector the "legal guardian of every Aboriginal and every half-caste child up to the age of 18 years." This person could send children to reserves or institutions.

How Reserves Affected People's Lives

The laws about Aboriginal reserves gave governments huge power over Aboriginal people's lives. People lost what are now seen as basic human rights. They couldn't move freely, lost custody of their children, and had no control over their own property.

In some states and the Northern Territory, the Chief Protector was the legal guardian of all Aboriginal children. This meant they had more power over the children than the parents. These policies were at their most severe in the 1930s. The 1997 Bringing Them Home report said that "in the name of protection," Indigenous people were almost completely controlled. The forced removal of children from their families became known as the Stolen Generations.

Examples of Reserves and Stations

New South Wales Reserves

In New South Wales, there were three main types of places set aside for Aboriginal people:

• Aboriginal reserves: These were areas of land for Aboriginal people to live on. They were not managed by the government. From 1883, people on these reserves received food and blankets from the Aboriginal Protection Board, but they built their own homes. Examples include Forster and Burnt Bridge.
• Aboriginal missions: Churches or religious groups created these. They aimed to house Aboriginal people and teach them Christian beliefs, also preparing them for work. Many missions were on land given by the government.
• Aboriginal stations: Also called 'managed reserves,' these were set up by the Aboriginal Protection Board from 1883. Government officials managed them. These stations usually provided education, food, and housing. Managers strictly controlled who could live there. Many people were forced to move onto and off these stations. Examples include Purfleet and Karuah.

Many other Aboriginal people lived in towns or in camps on the edges of towns, on private land, or near rivers and beaches. These places are still important to Aboriginal people today.

Since 1983, Local Aboriginal Land Councils have managed land and housing in many of these areas.

See also List of Aboriginal Reserves in New South Wales and List of Aboriginal missions in New South Wales.

South Australia Reserves

Several Aboriginal missions in South Australia became Aboriginal reserves. This happened after the Royal Commission on the Aborigines in 1916. The Commission suggested that the government become the legal guardian of all Aboriginal children when they turned 10. They also suggested placing children "where they deem best." Seven years later, the Aborigines (Training of Children) Act 1923 allowed Indigenous children to be "trained" in special institutions for work.

Most of what is now the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY lands) was once the North-West Aboriginal Reserve.

Queensland Reserves

Before the Aboriginals Protection and Restriction of the Sale of Opium Act 1897, religious groups had set up missions. The Colony of Queensland government also set aside small areas as reserves. After the Act, all Aboriginal reserves came under its control. Some reserves had Superintendents to manage them. Missionaries running settlements also became Superintendents. However, most reserves in Queensland were not "managed." They had no Superintendent and were controlled by the Local Protector of Aborigines.

Victoria Reserves

Victoria had different types of Aboriginal settlements: Aboriginal stations and Native Police reserves (run by the government), and missions (run by religious groups). In 1860, the state took over the missions, turning them into stations. These stations were run by Superintendents.

The government also had depots. These places provided food, clothing, and blankets, but not homes. Some closed stations were later used as depots.

From 1886, many stations were made smaller or closed. By the early 1920s, only Lake Tyers and Framlingham remained. Framlingham became an unsupervised reserve where many Aboriginal people lived. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, new settlements were built to help people move into regular housing. These closed within a few years. In 1971, Lake Tyers and Framlingham were given to Aboriginal trusts to own and manage.

Here are some examples of reserves and stations in Victoria:

• Franklinford (1841–1864)
• Merri Creek (1841–1851)
• Mount Rouse (1842–1858)
• Ebenezer (1859–1906)
• Framlingham (1861–today)
• Coranderrk (1863–1950, 1998–today)
• Lake Tyers (1863–today)
• Lake Condah (1867–1951, 1987–today)