Protection (1850s):

Paternalism was based on the belief that white people were inherently superior to aborigines.
Europeans believed that because the Aboriginal culture didnt live up to their standards, they were
therefore primitive, backward, and in need of Europeans help.
Paternalism is the practice of looking after the Aboriginal people in the way that a father looks after a
child who cannot take care of itself.

How:
Protectorates were established, Aboriginals were to be civilized, educated to European standards,
converted to Christianity.
In the 1850s, reserves were set-aside for aboriginal people. Aboriginals had no freedom, traditional
activities were banned, children were excluded from education. They were treated as primitive ands
incompetent, and therefore were heavily regimented and ordered.
Church missions were set up to Christianize and to civilize the natives.

Assimilation (1950s)
Assimilation is the policy of encouraging migrants and Aboriginal people to move away from
their traditional cultures and to adopt the Australian way of life.

Why:
The aim of assimilation was for aboriginal culture to be dissolved into a European culture, so that
aboriginals could behave and be treated like Europeans.

How:
Aboriginals were moved off reserves and into towns.
Reserve lands were sold, but aboriginals could not buy it back.
Aboriginals began to live in fringe camps on the edge of towns.
1950 Assimilation Act.
Assimilation policy-children could be removed from their homes and be placed on missions,
reserves in order to be Europeanized.

Integration (1960s)
Assimilation was not working; migrants and aboriginals clung to their own cultures.
Result: governmental policy of integration: encouraged aboriginals and migrants to maintain their
traditional cultures whilst still becoming part of the wider Australian community.

Self-determination (1970s)
Introduced by the Whitlam government.
States repealed anti-aboriginal laws, government stopped trying to destroy aboriginal culture, and
the stolen generation came to an end.
Self-determination encompassed three key aspects:
- Aboriginals should receive the same rights and freedoms as non-Aboriginals.
- They should be allowed to choose how they want to live.
- They should be allowed to have a say in the policies that affect them. (e.g. citizenship, right to vote
etc).