Deported… At the sweet will of the government: The removal of Aborigines to reserves in Queensland 1897–1939

Abstract

When introducing the Aboriginals Protection and Restriction of the Sale of Opium Bill to the Queensland Parliament in 1897, Home Secretary Tozer remarked that section 9 was 'one of the most important in the Bill'.' The clause gave the Minister authority to remove Aborigines to reserves and was included on the recommendation of Archibald Meston. Meston was the principal architect of the legislation and the removals dause. It was part of the package of 'stem measures' he believed were necessary for the effective protection of Aborigines. Despite Tozer's assertion about the importance of section 9, it provoked little comment or debate. Yet 40 years later when new legislation was implemented, the removals program had become the cornerstone of the reserve system.