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.
Pre-1900: Colonisation and early human rights
1788 to1930s – Frontier wars
Violent conflicts between Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islander peoples and European settlers supported by the brutal Native Mounted Police marked the early colonial period. These undeclared wars devastated First Nations communities and sought to destroy their connection to land and culture.
1838 to 1968 – Control of Aboriginal people’s movements
Areas in Queensland were set aside to control the movements of Aboriginal peoples, and they became reserves, missions and settlements.
1850s to 1901 – Pacific Island labour
Pacific Island labourers were brought to Queensland through force, deception, or indenture. They were paid significantly less than European workers and faced systemic exploitation.
1864 – Native Mounted Police
Native Police were brought under the control of the newly appointed Commissioner of Police, and in 1865 the force was renamed the Native Mounted Police.
1865 – Industrial and Reformatory Schools Act
The Queensland Parliament passed the Industrial and Reformatory Schools Act, establishing schools for children under 15 years of age who were deemed neglected
or convicted of an offence. The act defined ‘neglected children’ to include those born to Aboriginal or half-caste
mothers, and Aboriginal missions were registered as industrial and reformatory schools.
1866 – Regulation No. 31
The Queensland colonial government gazetted Regulation No. 31 that directed armed officers to disperse large gatherings of blacks
without unnecessary violence. In practice, this authorised use of pre-emptive force – including lethal violence – to supress Aboriginal groups.
1869 to 1970 – Living under the Act
Under Queensland’s Protection
Acts, Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islander peoples were forcibly removed from their lands, denied basic freedoms, separated from families, forbidden to practise culture, and had no control over their finances.
1897 – Aboriginals Protection and Restriction of the Sale of Opium Act
The Queensland Parliament passed the Aboriginals Protection and Restriction of the Sale of Opium Act, which established the framework of government policy relating to the control of Aboriginal reserves and Aboriginal affairs in Queensland.
1890 – Married Women’s Property Act 1890
This Act allowed married women to acquire and dispose of property and investments independently of their husbands – a significant step forward for women’s rights.
1891 – Shearers’ strike
Queensland’s first major industrial dispute was over wage cuts and led to clashes between unionists and non-union labour. The strike called for a political party to represent working people’s interests.
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.