Section 4: Exclusion, Control, Segregation and Assimilation Policies / Assimilation

Section 4: Exclusion, Control, Segregation and Assimilation Policies

Assimilation

In 1940, the Aborigines Welfare Board* replaced the Aborigines Protection Board*. This introduced a policy change, from protection to assimilation. The new policy aimed to phase out Aboriginal culture and create a single, white Australian culture based on European customs. It was assumed that the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples would improve if they became part of colonised Australian society.

Children were considered more adaptable and therefore were more vulnerable to assimilation. The removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children has resulted in intergenerational trauma, loss and disconnection for Aboriginal people and their communities.

We have used historical terms; however, ‘Aborigine’* is no longer used or accepted when referring to Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander peoples.