The Aboriginals Preservation and Protection Act 1939 (Act no.3 Geo. VI No.6) with the full title "An Act to Consolidate and Amend the Law relating to the Preservation and Protection of Aboriginals, and for other purposes" made provision for the appointment of the Director of Native Affairs, who, answerable to the Minister, was charged with the administration of the Act. He assumed the role of 'the legal guardian of every aboriginal child under 21'. The Director's permission was required to employ an Aboriginal person. This act was repealed and replaced by the Aborigines' and Torres Strait Islanders' Affairs Act 1965 (Act no. 27/1965) in 1966.
1884 - 1939 Native Labourers' Protection Act 1884
1897 - 1939 Aboriginals Protection and Restriction of the Sale of Opium Act 1897
1939 - 1966 Aboriginals Preservation and Protection Act 1939
1965 - 1972 Aborigines' and Torres Strait Islanders' Affairs Act 1965
1972 - 1984 Torres Strait Islander Act 1971
1972 - 1984 Aborigines Act 1971
1984 - Community Services (Aborigines) Act 1984
Sources used to compile this entry: To Remove and Protect: laws that changed Aboriginal lives, Queensland Legislation, 2009, http://aiatsis.gov.au/collections/collections-online/digitised-collections/remove-and-protect/queensland; Law Research Service, Melbourne Law School, Law Library, The University of Melbourne. 'Find and Connect Project - Queensland Legislation', 4 April 2013, held in the project files at the University of Melbourne eScholarship Research Centre.
Prepared by: Rosemary Francis
Created: 18 May 2011, Last modified: 16 November 2016