The role of indigenous reserves and missions in Australian history

Indigenous Australian reserves, missions, and stations were established in the early days of European settlement in Australia.

The first ones were set up in the mid-19th century. Maloga Mission, established in 1869 along the Murray River in New South Wales, was one of the first and aimed to convert and 'civilize' Indigenous people.

Reserves were usually located on the outskirts of towns and cities. The Aborigines Protection Board (APB), the government authority in New South Wales, was responsible for Aboriginal affairs and had control over who could live on reserves.

Other Australian states had their own version of the APB, either government-appointed boards with different names and jurisdictions, such as the Aboriginals Protection and Restriction of the Sale of Opium Act in Queensland.

Similarly, the Aboriginal Ordinance of 1911 in the Northern Territory restricted Indigenous Australians’ freedom of movement, employment, and personal relationships, reinforcing government control over almost every aspect of their lives.

Regardless of the entity that controlled them, Indigenous Australian people were generally not allowed to leave reserves without permission, and they were often required to live by strict rules.

For example, they might be banned from drinking alcohol or speaking their own language. 

Missions were similar to reserves, but they were usually located in more remote areas.

They were established by religious groups such as the Catholic Church or the Anglican Church. 

Like reserves, missions were often places where First Nations people were forced to live by strict rules.

However, life on missions was usually more hard-line than on reserves. They often had a strict regime, with rules about diet, clothing, and behavior. 

The experience on individual missions often differed widely in conditions depending on the religious organization in charge.

Some missions were more focused on religious conversion and education, while others varied in how they enforced cultural restrictions.

Aboriginal stations were large tracts of land that were set aside for Indigenous Australian people to live on.

Unlike reserves and missions, stations were not usually run by directly government or religious organizations.

Instead, the Aboriginal stations were managed by government officials who were appointed by the APB or its equivalent.

These officials were typically white landowners who employed Aboriginal people as workers, often under conditions of exploitation.

Stations were generally very isolated, and life on them was often very hard. Indigenous Australian people living on stations often had to fend for themselves, with little help from the outside world. 

The Aborigines Protection Act of 1909 in New South Wales was a turning point in the history of Aboriginal reserves, missions, and stations.

The Act reinforced the government's assimilation policy, which aimed to 'integrate' Indigenous Australian people into white society. 

The Act gave the APB more power to control the lives of Aboriginal people living on these institutions. 

Under the Act, the APB could force Aboriginal people to live on reserves and missions, and they could make rules about what they could and couldn't do. 

The Aborigines Protection Act was a controversial piece of legislation, and it was eventually repealed in 1969.

Meanwhile, other states had varying timelines in the removal of similar laws. 

For instance, Victoria began repealing its similar Aborigines Protection Act in the 1950s.

Some protections and restrictions in other states lingered into the 1970s.

Many First Nations people did not want to leave their traditional way of life and live on reserves or missions.

They found the conditions on these institutions to be very difficult, and they experienced a great deal of racism and discrimination from the Europeans who ran them.

The conditions in many of these reserves, missions, and stations were poor. There was often a lack of food and medical care, and many Indigenous Australian people died from diseases such as smallpox and influenza. 

Racism was also a problem on many of these institutions. Indigenous Australian people were often treated as second-class citizens.

Depending upon the specific state, they were not allowed to marry Europeans, and their children were taken away from them and sent to white schools. 

Despite the challenges, Indigenous Australian people were considered to 'benefit' from living on reserves, missions, and stations.

They were given a European education and medical care that they would not have otherwise had access to. 

However, any 'benefit' from European education and medical care is a reflection of the paternalistic and colonial mindset of the time.

It's crucial to understand that this 'benefit' was often perceived from a Eurocentric viewpoint and did not account for the significant cultural loss and trauma inflicted.

The Aboriginal reserve system finally ended in 1969 with the repeal of the Aborigines Protection Act. 

The Racial Discrimination Act of 1975 prohibited racial discrimination in Australia and provided a legal avenue for Indigenous Australians to challenge unjust policies related to reserves, missions, and other forms of discrimination.

However, the damage had already been done. The assimilation policy had a devastating effect on First Nations culture and language.

Many Indigenous Australians lost their deep connection to their traditional lifestyles and lands.

Today, the impact of the Indigenous Australian reserve system lingers, with numerous First Nations individuals perceiving it as a form of cultural suppression.

The socio-economic difficulties encountered by numerous Indigenous Australians today have their roots in these past policies and practices.

Consequently, a significant number of Indigenous Australians live in poverty and are deprived of fundamental services like education and healthcare.