Correspondence re Current Situation and Post War Planning Affecting Aboriginal People in Northern Australia

At the time of this correspondence, AP Elkin was seeking information on two projects he was working on: a) preparing a national policy for Aborigines and their administration in case powers for this purpose were to be handed to the Commonwealth and b) a pamphlet on the effect of postwar development in the northern parts of Australia on Aboriginal people. 

The letters are organised by state or people including FI Bray, Commissioner of Native Affairs, Western Australia; Mary Durack Miller (18/05/44); Chinnery, Department of the Interior, Canberra - includes an extract from the Conference of Commonwealth and State Ministers; C O'Leary, Director of Native Affairs, Queensland ; C Duguid (1/05/44); WR Penhall, Secretary of the Aborigines Protection Board, South Australia; RM Berndt (24/05 44) reporting on a meeting of the Anthropological Society and on mission and government settlements in South Australia.

The topics include effects on the aboriginal populations in Western Australia of military operations during World War Two, including the building of bases and the removal from towns such as Broome during air raids; recruitment of Aboriginal people by the armed forces; leprosarium at Derby and other reserves in Western Australia; hand drawn map of the Kimberley, Western Australia, with list of missions and stations and Aboriginal population (1944); the general workings of the Department of Native Affairs (Western Australia, Northern Territory and Queensland), including a list of protectors in Western Australia; a submission by FI Bray on the Commonwealth Powers Bill 1942; effect of post war planning on Aboriginal people, particularly the Kimberley region; information on administration costs and organisation of missions and reserves; army documents on Northern Territory Aboriginal settlements and employment, including notes and minutes of 'Conference on Native Affairs' (24/04/45) HQ Northern Territory Force, discussing housing, employment and pay, health, etc on army settlements/ camps. Also included are lists of missions and reserves in Queensland.