91
The chief Protector could cause any ’Aboriginal' to be moved
I
* ʃ
to a reserve or Aboriginal institution (secs. 17-21) and he could
assume control of the property of any'Aboriginal' (sec. 35). There
I
were penalties to be imposed upon people who unlawfully entered
a reserve (sec. 20) or who caused an ’Aboriginal' to leave one (sec.
21). The Act imposed strict segregation upon nearly all Aborigines.
Section 34a made it an offence for a male,not of Aboriginal descent,
to associate with a female who had any Aboriginal ancestry.
Under the 1911 Act, Aborigines could be subject to curfews
and to restriction of movement in towns. These restrictions
were confirmed in the 1939 Act in South Australia which
I
... gave the Board power to remove Aborigines
to reserves and keep them there, prevented
entry by unauthorised persons and made it
an offence to assist or entice them to
escape. It enabled the Board to remove
camps from the vicinity of towns and to
remove individuals for 'loitering' or
being improperly clothed. Towns could
be proclaimed prohibited areas (Rowley, 1971:50).
The stereotype for Aborigines was clear. Charles Perkins
t
(1975:17) relates his own experience in Alice Springs, then
*
administered by South Australia.
We had to stay there. We were not
allowed in Alice Springs after dark,
only for the pictures on Saturday ■
night. That rule has relaxed a little ;
" over the years ... But before the idea ji
was simple: 'Keep the street clean of •
Aborigines'. That was the way we had ;
to live - as scum, the unwanted. ’
W
• I J∙
ɪi
Aborigines were separated socially from those with whom they ,'
worked or played sport. Perkins (1975:55-56) relates
I would go into a pub with the cricket
team and the barman would say, "Listen
darkie, you know you don't belong in
here. If you don't get out, I'll get
the copper on to you!"
