History of stolen wages and savings in Queensland

From the 1890s until the 1970s the Queensland Government controlled the wages and savings of Aboriginal Queenslanders who worked under the 'Protection Acts'. Some workers lived on settlements and missions and their wages were paid in rations, shelter and some cash. Other workers were sent to work for employers and their wages were paid into a savings account held by the government.

A different, but similar system was used to control the wages and savings of Torres Strait Islander people 'under the Act'.

Many people say that they never got the wages they earned and that their wages were unjustly taken from them and put into the Welfare Fund.

Where did the wages of Aboriginal workers go?

The Queensland Aboriginals Account was a single bank account used to control the wages and savings of Aboriginal people. Until the 1970s, Aboriginal people 'under the Act' were forced to make compulsory savings into this account.

An individual ledger card record was kept for each person who had money banked into this account. This record showed their name, individual deposits and withdrawals and the balance they had in their savings account.

Many people didn't know what was happening to their wages money. Also, unlike the rest of the community, Indigenous people who were 'under the Act' did not have control over their own money.

Government officials took money out of the account to pay for things like clothing, travel fares, postage, medical and dental expenses and purchase orders for the worker or their family. But the workers themselves were often not told of this.

This has led to concerns about how the money was spent and whether people got all the money they should have. Others have raised questions about possible fraud and mismanagement of savings accounts and wages.

By the early 1990s the savings accounts were closed. All of the balances were distributed and there is now no money in these accounts. There is no longer any money in the Queensland Aboriginals Account which used to hold the savings of Aboriginal workers.

'Aborigines Welfare Fund'

Where did the wages of Aboriginal workers go?

The Aborigines Welfare Fund was set up in 1943 for the general benefit of Aboriginal people.

Until 1966, part of Aboriginal workers' wages was taken and put in the Aborigines Welfare Fund. Some workers had 2.5% of their wages taken, some had 5%, and some had 10% taken. The amount taken depended on each worker's family circumstances and location. The whole of the wages of Aboriginal people did not go into this fund.

Other income sources that went into the fund included:

• surplus interest earned from investment of balances in the Queensland Aboriginals Account
• money from the operations of retail stores, cattle, farming and other activities conducted on settlements (now Aboriginal Deed of Grant in Trust or DOGIT communities)
• unclaimed money from the estates of deceased or missing Aboriginal people

At June 2008 there was $8.8 million in this fund, which has been frozen since 1993. This balance will be transferred to the Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Foundation.

Indigenous Wages and Savings Reparations Scheme

In 2002, the Queensland Government made a reparations offer to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Queenslanders whose wages and savings were affected by the Queensland Government's Protection Acts. This offer recognised previous government's unfair controls over many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people's wages and savings from the 1890s to the early 1970s.

The offer is called the Indigenous Wages and Savings Reparations Scheme.

The 2002 package included:

• $55.4 million to be used to pay money back (payments of $4000 and $2000 to Indigenous people still alive whose wages or savings were controlled by the authorities under previous 'Protection Acts')
• an apology
• a Parliamentary Acknowledgment (a statement made in Parliament House)
• government protocol to acknowledge traditional owners

Priority was given to paying elderly people and those who were seriously ill.

The scheme was on top of the more than $40 million paid out to Indigenous Queenslanders in under-award wages matters.

By 2007, nearly $20 million in payments had been made to over 5500 people.

In March 2008 the Queensland Government agreed that out of the $35.87 million left:

• another $14.64 million would be paid out to eligible people – this money has gone into round 2 payments
• the remaining $21.23 million would be paid into a Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Foundation.

On 12 August 2008 the Queensland Government re-opened a final  reparations offer to those who did not apply during former reparations offers. Six million dollars was put aside (out of the remaining funds) for this offer. This offer closed on 30 April 2009.

Last reviewed: 06 October 2009

Secondary navigation