Frontier History in Colonial Early Victoria
The History of Government Policy on Indigenous People in Victoria
The history of Indigenous people in Victoria is inseparable from the history of government policy. Since colonisation in the 1830s, Indigenous families and communities have been subjected to successive waves of legislation and administration designed to manage, control, and often suppress Indigenous identity, culture, and rights.
From the Protectorate system (1839–1851) and the establishment of missions, through the harsh assimilation policies of the Protection Acts, to the long struggles for citizenship, land rights, and recognition, government intervention has profoundly shaped Indigenous life in Victoria (Broome 2005). Today, efforts at truth-telling, treaty, and self-determination seek to address this long legacy of control and dispossession (Victorian Government 2022).
Early Colonial Policies (1830s–1850s)
The British Government introduced the Port Phillip Protectorate in 1839, appointing George Augustus Robinson as Chief Protector (Reynolds 1987). Intended to “civilise and protect” Indigenous people, it was underfunded and failed to prevent frontier violence or recognise Indigenous land ownership (Critchett 1990). The Protectorate was abolished in 1851, coinciding with Victoria’s separation from New South Wales (Attwood 2003).
From the outset, Indigenous sovereignty was denied under the doctrine of terra nullius. The Batman “Treaty” (1835) — which included Wadawurrung lands — was invalidated by Governor Bourke, setting the precedent for denying Indigenous ownership altogether (Presland 1994).
The Protection Era (1860s–1880s)
In 1860, the colonial government established the Central Board Appointed to Watch Over the Interests of the Aborigines, later replaced by the Board for the Protection of Aborigines (1869) (Broome 2005). The Aboriginal Protection Act 1869 granted the Board sweeping powers to dictate residence, employment, and movement (Markus 1990).
The Aboriginal Half-Caste Act (1886) was one of the most damaging policies. It forced people of mixed descent under 35 years old to leave missions such as Coranderrk and Framlingham, fracturing families and forcing many into poverty (Barwick 1998). This Act was explicitly designed to reduce the Indigenous population and accelerate assimilation into colonial society (Attwood 2003).
Assimilation and Control (1890s–1940s)
By the late 19th century, most Victorian missions had closed, with Lake Tyers in Gippsland becoming the final consolidated reserve (Broome 2005). Families from across the state — including Wadawurrung, Gunditjmara, and Taungurung — were relocated there under Protection Board policy (Critchett 1990).
Indigenous people were denied citizenship, equal pay, and political rights, and were treated as wards of the state (Markus 1990). Children were often removed from their families under assimilationist policies — the practice now recognised as part of the Stolen Generations — resulting in widespread trauma (Attwood 2003).
Citizenship and Civil Rights (1940s–1960s)
After the Second World War, global attention to human rights began to pressure governments toward reform (Attwood 2003). Indigenous activists in Victoria — including William Cooper, Margaret Tucker, Pastor Doug Nicholls, and Jack Patten — led campaigns for equality through organisations such as the Aboriginal Advancement League (Barwick 1998).
Despite this activism, Indigenous people remained excluded from the census and denied full citizenship until the 1967 Referendum, when over 90% of Australians voted to amend the Constitution to include Indigenous peoples in national law (Broome 2005).
In Victoria, this marked a turning point that energised campaigns for land rights, justice, and recognition.
Land Rights and Self-Determination (1970s–1990s)
In 1970, after years of activism, land at Lake Tyers and Framlingham was returned to Indigenous ownership under the Aboriginal Lands Act 1970 — one of the first examples of land restitution in Australia (Attwood 2003).
This period saw a shift toward self-determination, with communities managing their own services and institutions. Organisations such as the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service (1973) and the Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency (VACCA) were established, marking a new era of cultural and political autonomy (Markus 1990).
Contemporary Policies (2000s–Present)
The 1992 Mabo decision and Native Title Act 1993 created new pathways for recognition of traditional ownership, though Victoria’s long history of dispossession limited the number of successful claims (Broome 2005).
More recent frameworks such as Closing the Gap have aimed to address inequalities in health, education, and employment, yet outcomes remain inconsistent (Victorian Government 2022).
In 2021, Victoria launched the Yoorrook Justice Commission as part of its pioneering Treaty process, representing a major policy shift toward truth-telling and the recognition of Indigenous sovereignty (Victorian Government 2022).
The Wadawurrung Experience of Government Policy
For the Wadawurrung — whose Country stretches across Geelong, Ballarat, the Bellarine Peninsula, and the Moorabool–Barwon river system — these government policies brought deep disruption:
Early dispossession: By the time the Protectorate was formed, much of Wadawurrung Country had already been taken by squatters under informal land grabs and later legalised through squatter licences (Presland 1994).
Protection policies: Survivors were relocated from Country to missions such as Coranderrk, Framlingham, and Lake Tyers, fracturing kinship networks (Broome 2005).
Half-Caste Act: The 1886 legislation forced younger Wadawurrung people to leave missions, further breaking families apart (Barwick 1998).
Assimilation and child removal: Wadawurrung families were severely impacted by Stolen Generations policies, separating children from culture, language, and identity (Attwood 2003).
Survival and revival: Despite efforts to erase identity, Wadawurrung people maintained connection to land, language, and heritage. Today, the Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation represents a registered Aboriginal Party, central to treaty, land management, and heritage protection in Victoria (Victorian Government 2022).
Conclusion
The history of government policy on Indigenous people in Victoria is one of control and dispossession, but also of resistance, survival, and reform. From the Protectorate to the Half-Caste Act, from assimilation to the Stolen Generations, state policy profoundly reshaped Indigenous life and community.
For the Wadawurrung, this history meant displacement, removal, and cultural suppression — yet their resilience ensured the survival of identity and the revival of heritage in the present day.
Victoria’s Treaty and truth-telling process now stands as an opportunity to acknowledge these legacies and move toward genuine self-determination and justice.
References
Attwood, B 2003, Rights for Aborigines, Allen & Unwin, Sydney.
Barwick, D 1998, Rebellion at Coranderrk, Aboriginal History Monograph, Canberra.
Broome, R 2005, Aboriginal Victorians: A History Since 1800, Allen & Unwin, Sydney.
Clark, ID 1995, Scars in the Landscape: A Register of Massacre Sites in Western Victoria 1803–1859, Aboriginal Studies Press, Canberra.
Critchett, J 1990, A Distant Field of Murder: Western District Frontiers, 1834–1848, Melbourne University Press, Melbourne.
Markus, A 1990, Governing Savages, Allen & Unwin, Sydney.
Presland, G 1994, Aboriginal Melbourne: The Lost Land of the Kulin People, Harriland Press, Melbourne.
Reynolds, H 1987, The Law of the Land, Penguin, Ringwood.
Victorian Government 2022, Yoorrook Justice Commission Interim Report, Melbourne.
Written, Researched and Directed by James Vegter 16/09/2025
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