To Remove and Protect

Northern Territory: Protectors' report

From 1863 until 1911, the Northern Territory was annexed to South Australia.

In 1911, the Northern Territory Aboriginals Ordinance established the NT Aboriginals Department. The Chief Protector was appointed the 'legal guardian of every Aboriginal and every half-caste child up to the age of 18 years'.

In 1918, the Chief Protector's powers were extended. Under the Aborigines Ordinance 1918 , all Indigenous females were under the total control of the Chief Protector unless they were married and living with a husband 'who is substantially of European origin'.

In 1927, the Commonwealth Government set up an inquiry into Indigenous affairs in the Northern Territory. The report found that many Indigenous people were not paid wages, living conditions were appalling and that government-run institutions 'were badly situated, inadequately financed and insufficiently supervised'. The report also recommended that missions be given responsibility for Indigenous children.

The introduction of the Welfare Ordinance 1953 started the move towards assimilation through general child welfare laws. Indigenous and non-Indigenous children were now covered by the same law.' However only those people who had no voting rights could be made wards and at this time most Indigenous people could not vote.

In 1955, the NT Government decided that Indigenous children in homes and missions should be moved to homes in the southern States. By the close of the 1960s, children were being placed into foster care as institutions and homes were being closed. In 1971, 97 percent of all Territory children in foster care were Indigenous.

The assimilation policy was formally abolished by the Commonwealth Government in 1973, in favour of self-management by Indigenous people. In 1978, the Northern Territory was granted self-government by an Act of the Commonwealth Parliament. See the NT Laws page for any laws passed after this date.

Users are warned that these documents may contain words or descriptions which reflect the author's attitude or that of the period in which the item was written. These may be considered inappropriate today in some circumstances. Users should also be aware that these reports contain images and other references to deceased people which may cause sadness or distress, particularly to the relatives of these people.

Please note: only those sections specific to Aboriginal people have been digitised.