AGY-561 | Aborigines Welfare Directorate

Full description

The Aborigines Welfare Board (1940-1969) was replaced by the Aborigines Welfare Directorate within the Department of Child Welfare (later the Department of Community Services). (1) (2) (3) Through the Directorate all child and social welfare services were to be made available to Aboriginal children in addition to services intended to promote the advancement of equal opportunity for Aboriginal citizens. (4)

Under the legislation, the new agency was designed to allocate responsibility for services to Aboriginal people to several Government departments rather than deliver all the services directly. (5) The Directorate was responsible for policy planning, providing advice and allocating funds to the appropriate agencies, such as the NSW Health and Housing Commissions and the departments of Education and Technical and Further Education. The Branch also worked with the Commonwealth agencies of Aboriginal Affairs, Education, Labour and Immigration. (6)

The Directorate was transferred to the administration of the Commonwealth Government from 1 July 1975, with some staff moved to the New South Wales regional office of the Commonwealth Department of Aboriginal Affairs. A smaller agency, the Aboriginal Services Branch, was established to maintain those functions not transferred to the Commonwealth. (7)

Endnotes
1. New South Wales Government Gazette No.63, 30 May 1969, Vol.2, p.1947.
2. New South Wales Government Gazette No.39, 28 March 1969, p.1198.
3. Report of the Minister for Social Welfare on the working of the Aborigines Act, 1969, for the year ended.
4. Annual Report of the Department of Child Welfare, year ended 30 June 1969, p.9, Parliamentary Papers, 1969-70-71, Vol.1, p.719.
5. Annual Report of the Department of Child Welfare and Social Welfare, year ended 30 June 1972, p.16, Parliamentary Papers 1972-73, Vol.1, p.334.
6. Annual Report of the Department of Youth and Community Services, year ended 30 June 1975, p.28, Parliamentary Papers 1976-77-78, Vol.12, p.1158.