Aborigines Welfare Directorate facts for kids
The Aborigines Welfare Directorate was a government group in New South Wales, Australia. It worked from 1969 to 1975. This group had many important jobs that affected the lives of Aboriginal people.
What Was the Aborigines Welfare Directorate?
The Aborigines Welfare Directorate was created by a special law called the Aborigines Act 1969. This law was changed in 1973. Later, a new law called the Aboriginal Land Rights Act replaced it in 1983.
This new Directorate took over from an older group called the NSW Aborigines Welfare Board. Over time, the Directorate itself changed its name. It became known as the Aborigines Services Branch, Youth and Community Services.
What Did the Directorate Do?
The Directorate had several key roles. It helped create rules and plans for how the government worked with Aboriginal people. It also gave advice to other government groups.
A big part of its job was to give money to different government departments in New South Wales. These included:
- NSW Health (for health services)
- Housing Commissions (for homes)
- Departments of Education (for schools)
- Technical and Further Education (for job training)
The Directorate also worked with national government groups. These were called Commonwealth agencies. They included departments dealing with Aboriginal Affairs, Education, and Labour and Immigration.
Why Did the Directorate Close?
The Aborigines Welfare Directorate stopped working as a NSW government group on 1 July 1975. Its responsibilities were moved to the national, or Commonwealth, Government.
After this change, a new group was started. It was called the Aboriginal Services Branch of the Department of Community Services. This new branch continued to provide services to Aboriginal people in New South Wales. It handled the services that were not taken over by the Commonwealth Government.
