The Fisheries Department had a brief role in the ‘care’ and ‘protection’ of Aboriginal children from 1920, when it was given responsibility for Aboriginal matters in Western Australian areas below latitude 25 degrees south. It administered the Aborigines Act 1905 in this area of the State until those functions were removed from the Fisheries Department in 1926 and transferred to the Aborigines Department (1926-1936).
The Fisheries Department was responsible for Aboriginal matters, including the custody, care and protection of Aboriginal children living in areas of Western Australia below 25 degrees latitude, from 1 January 1920. The State Records Office website provides an overview of the Department:
As well as the State’s fisheries, this department had control of Aboriginal affairs for the area below latitude 25 degrees South. (The Department of the North West had control of Aboriginal affairs for the area above latitude 25 degrees South). The Fisheries Department was a sub-department of the Colonial Secretary’s Office (1920-1924), the Chief Secretary’s Department (1924-1932, 1949-1953) the Premier’s Department (1933-1938), and the Department of the North West (1939-1948) until 1953 when it achieved the status of a separate department.
On 1 January 1926, the responsibility for matters relating to Aboriginal people was transferred to the second ‘version’ of the Aborigines Department (1926-1936).
The Fisheries Department continued with other functions until 1 September 1964.