The Protectors

This project is based on a 1924-1925 Queensland State Archives (QSA) correspondence record between the Chief Protector of Aborigines (CPOA) and the other Queensland Protectors asking them to provide a list of Aboriginal placenames from each protectorate. Many protectors were unable to do so, claiming that there were no Aboriginal placenames, that there are "no aborigines left", or that the local Aboriginal people "know nothing of the language". This project will investigate these claims through engaging with the Jon Oxley Library (JOL) records and interviews with Aboriginal descendants in those protectorate areas to prove that the protectors’ claims are inaccurate. The project will detail the comprehensive nature of the protectorate system while countering the deficit narrative perpetuated by the Protectors’ survey responses. The story of Queensland's Protectorate system will be presented through a podcast series and a supplementary website.