Human rights themes
Each event in the timeline is tagged with an icon representing one of the following themes:
Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islander peoples
The fight for equality
Life and health
Civil liberties
Children and families
Prisons and institutions
These themes reflect the consistent patterns that emerged during the timeline’s development.
1900–1945: Reform, protest and war
1901 – The Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900 (the Constitution)
The Australian Constitution was passed by the UK Parliament to federate six colonies into the constitutional monarchy of Australia, effective 1 January 1901. It excluded Aboriginal people from population counts and gave states, not the Commonwealth, control over Aboriginal affairs.
1901 – Immigration Restriction Act 1901 (Cth)
The Commonwealth passed this Act to limit non-British migration to Australia and establish the White Australia policy – a cornerstone of racially exclusionary immigration law.
1902 – The Aboriginal Protection of Property Account
This account was established under the Queensland Director of Native Affairs Office to absorb monies of deceased and missing Aboriginal workers for the benefit of blacks generally
.
1905 – Women’s right to vote
Women gained the right to vote in Queensland state elections. However, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples were excluded from voting in state elections until 1965.
1908 – The Federal Invalid and Old-Age Pensions Act
This act was established to provide social security for all Australians, except Aboriginal peoples.
1912 – Tramways strike and Black Friday
A 5-week strike over union rights culminated in violent clashes on Black Friday when police charged a crowd of 15,000 people with batons. This event became a defining moment in Queensland’s labour history.
1912 – Federal Maternity Allowance Act
The Federal Maternity Allowance Act provided a lump sum payment to mothers on the birth of a child. Aboriginal, Asian, Pacific Islander and Papuan women were prohibited from claiming the allowance.
1914 to 1945 – Two world wars and their legacy
The First (1914–1918) and Second (1939–1945) World Wars reshaped Australian society, with women entering the workforce in large numbers to fill roles left by men. After WWII, the populate or perish
policy initiated Australia’s first government-sanction non-British migration. Globally, the United Nations was established to prevent future wars and uphold human rights, and in 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was proclaimed. In 1943, Torres Strait Islander Light Infantry Battalion (TSLIB) soldiers staged a one-day sit-down strike, successfully demanding equal wages and fair treatment from the Australian Army.
1916 – Anti-conscription protest
In response to proposed compulsory overseas military service, 10,000 workers went on strike. Queensland voted against conscription in 2 national referendums in 1916 and 1917.
1922 – Abolition of death penalty
Queensland became the first Australian state to abolish the death penalty marking a significant development in criminal justice and human rights protections.
1928 – Royal Flying Doctor Service founded
Established in Cloncurry, the Royal Flying Doctor Service provided critical medical care to remote communities and improved access to health services across Queensland.
1933–1938 – William Cooper Petition
In 1933, Yorta Yorta man William Cooper founded the Australian Aborigines’ League (AAL) to advocate for First Nations rights. In 1938, the AAL held the world’s first protest against Kristallnacht, but the Government refused to present their petition for First Nations representation to the King.
1936 – Torres Strait Maritime Strike
In 1936, Torres Strait Islanders staged the 9-month Maritime Strike, demanding better working conditions and self-determination. The strike led to the Torres Strait Islanders Act 1939, recognising them as a distinct First Nations group with voting rights and local governance, and paved the way for the Indigenous workers’ rights movement.
1938 – Day of Mourning
On 26 January 1938, the Australian Aborigines’ League and Aboriginal Progressive Association declared a Day of Mourning, protesting violence, dispossession, and inhumane conditions. They called for full citizenship and rights but were rejected after presenting their policy to Prime Minister Joseph Lyons.
1939 – The Queensland Aboriginals and Preservation and Protection Act 1939
The Queensland Aboriginals Preservation and Protection Act 1939 imposed strict controls on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, excluding them from voting and denying land rights. It also gave the Director of Native Affairs sweeping powers, including removing children and seizing property.
1943 – The Aborigines Welfare Fund
The Aborigines Welfare Fund was created ‘for the general benefit of Aboriginal people’ in Queensland, funded by deductions from the wages of those living under the Protection Acts until 1966. The Fund began closing in the 1970s, and by June 2008, $10.8 million remained, earning interest since being frozen in 1993.
Explore more of the timeline
The timeline is not a comprehensive historical record. It presents a curated selection of key events – many involving the State – that have significantly affected the human rights of people in Queensland.