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The Aborigines Protection Act (Vic) introduced an Aborigines Protection Board in Victoria to conduct the interests of Aborigines. The Governor can order the removal of any child from their family to a reformatory or industrial school.
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Chief protector is allowed to remove local Aborigines onto and between reserves and hold children in dormitories by the The Aboriginal Protection and Restriction of the Sale of Opium Act (Qld). It was decided that until 1965, the director of Native Welfare will be the legal guardian of all Aboriginal Children even if their parents were alive or not.
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The Chief Protector become the legal guardian of all Aborigines and ‘half blood’ child under the age of 16 due to the Aborigines Act (WA) being passed.
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The Aborigines Protection Board were given the authority to assume full custody and control of children of any Aborigine if the court found the child to have been mis-treated under the Neglected Children and Juvenile Offenders Act 1905 (NSW).
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The Aborigines Act (SA) makes the Chief Protector the legal guardian of all Aboriginal and ‘half blood’ child with additional wide-ranging powers to remove the Indigenous to and from reserves.
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The Aborigines Protection Amending Act (NSW) power to the Aboriginal Protection Board to separate Indigenous children from their families without having to establish in court that they were neglected. The Aboriginal Protection Board was handed authority from the Aborigines Protection Amending Act (NSW) to seperate Indigenous children from their families without having to attend court if they were neglected or not.
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The establishment of the Infants Welfare Act (Tas) is used to take away Indigenous children on Cape Barren Island from their families. From 1928-1980, the head teacher on Cape Barren is selected as a special constable with the power and responsibilities of a police officer. This includes the power to remove a child for neglect under child welfare legislation.
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The NSW Aborigines Protection Board loses its power to remove Indigenous children.
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Up until this time, all states had removed the act approving for the removal of Aboriginal children under the policy of ‘protection’. In the years following, the Aboriginal and Islander Child Care Agencies (“AICCAs”) are introduced to challenge removal applications and provide different ways to remove Indigenous children from their families.
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This provided family tracing, reunions, and support for the children and their families who had been removed
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The National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from their families is approved by the Commonwealth Government. This was because of the efforts made by the main Indigenous agencies and communities.
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The committee presents it's report to the Commonwealth Government on the findings of the National Inquiry into the separation between the children and their families.