Department of Aboriginal Affairs (Western Australia)


The Department of Aboriginal Affairs is the former government authority that is involved with the matters of the Aboriginal population of Western Australia.

Aborigines Protection Board

Prior to the creation of the Aborigines Department in 1898, there had been an Aborigines Protection Board, which operated between 1 January 1886 and 1 April 1898 as a Statutory authority. It was created by the Aborigines Protection Act 1886, also known as the Half-caste act, An Act to provide for the better protection and management of the Aboriginal natives of Western Australia, and to amend the law relating to certain contracts with such Aboriginal natives ; An Act to provide certain matters connected with the Aborigines.
The Board was replaced in 1898 by the Aborigines Department.

Current status

The department took its current name in May 2013. On 28 April 2017 Premier Mark McGowan announced that Western Australia's 41 departments would be reduced to 25 departments by 1 July 2017. The departments of Planning, Lands, Heritage and the Aboriginal heritage and land functions of the Department of Aboriginal Affairs amalgamated on 1 July 2017, forming the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage. The Department of the Premier and Cabinet will assumed responsibility for Aboriginal Affairs policy.

Preceding agencies