Australian Protective Policies

Question 1

What were the two places Aboriginals were kept in order to ‘protect’ them?

Answer 1

1. Reserves
2. Missions (religious)

Question 2

Why did the Europeans want the Aboriginals to live on reserves or missions?

Answer 2

1. To assimilate them - to ‘civilise’ them.
2. To remove them from white towns.
3. To take their fertile lands.
4. To control them.

Question 3

What was an example of a protection policy?

Answer 3

• The New South Wales Aborigines Protection Board.
• Implemented the policy that all ‘full-blood’ Aboriginal people should live on the 25 New South Wales reserves. Aboriginals were encouraged to establish farms on the reserves so that they would become self-sufficient.

Question 4

What were some positives of life on the reserves/missions?

Answer 4

Aboriginals learnt:
1. How to run a farm for profit
2. Missions gave basic health and education services

Question 5

What was life like on the reserves/missions?

Answer 5

Hard!
- Often land was not fertile enough to grow food.
- Punishments could be hard on missions eg. Cummera.
- Families could be separated.