First Nations Child Removal and New South Wales Out-of-Home Care: A Historical Analysis of the Motivating Philosophies, Imposed Policies, and Underutilised Recommendations
Interactions between First Nations and non-Indigenous Australians have long been shaped by notions of Western authority and First Nations inferiority, both culturally and biologically. From invasion to the present day, forced removals and intergenerational trauma have deeply affected First Nations A...
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MDPI AG
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Genealogy |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2313-5778/9/2/62 |
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| author | James C. Beaufils |
| author_facet | James C. Beaufils |
| author_sort | James C. Beaufils |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Interactions between First Nations and non-Indigenous Australians have long been shaped by notions of Western authority and First Nations inferiority, both culturally and biologically. From invasion to the present day, forced removals and intergenerational trauma have deeply affected First Nations Australians, particularly through the operations of interacting colonial systems, including child removals and placements. Throughout the 20th century, systematic child removals led to the Stolen Generations, a tragic example of power imbalances, paternalism, and Western ideals, perpetuating trauma across generations. This article examines the context of First Nations removals by the state under the lies of benevolence, exposing the evolution of the colonial system and the systematic dislocation of culture and identity. It highlights the social, legal, and political factors that enabled removal practices and their enduring consequences, including the legacy of forced child separations and cultural erasure. This article argues that policies of absorption and assimilation served to further isolate children from their families, communities, and kinship networks. In doing so, it contends that the systematic disruption of First Nations communities is part of an ongoing process of subjugation, continuing the colonial agenda of cultural and familial disintegration. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-5b3a9a84a5804ce08b170663a9daaacf |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2313-5778 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Genealogy |
| spelling | doaj-art-5b3a9a84a5804ce08b170663a9daaacf2025-08-20T03:27:18ZengMDPI AGGenealogy2313-57782025-06-01926210.3390/genealogy9020062First Nations Child Removal and New South Wales Out-of-Home Care: A Historical Analysis of the Motivating Philosophies, Imposed Policies, and Underutilised RecommendationsJames C. Beaufils0Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education and Research, University of Technology, Sydney, NSW 2007, AustraliaInteractions between First Nations and non-Indigenous Australians have long been shaped by notions of Western authority and First Nations inferiority, both culturally and biologically. From invasion to the present day, forced removals and intergenerational trauma have deeply affected First Nations Australians, particularly through the operations of interacting colonial systems, including child removals and placements. Throughout the 20th century, systematic child removals led to the Stolen Generations, a tragic example of power imbalances, paternalism, and Western ideals, perpetuating trauma across generations. This article examines the context of First Nations removals by the state under the lies of benevolence, exposing the evolution of the colonial system and the systematic dislocation of culture and identity. It highlights the social, legal, and political factors that enabled removal practices and their enduring consequences, including the legacy of forced child separations and cultural erasure. This article argues that policies of absorption and assimilation served to further isolate children from their families, communities, and kinship networks. In doing so, it contends that the systematic disruption of First Nations communities is part of an ongoing process of subjugation, continuing the colonial agenda of cultural and familial disintegration.https://www.mdpi.com/2313-5778/9/2/62First Nationsout-of-home carechild protectionAustraliachild removalplacements |
| spellingShingle | James C. Beaufils First Nations Child Removal and New South Wales Out-of-Home Care: A Historical Analysis of the Motivating Philosophies, Imposed Policies, and Underutilised Recommendations Genealogy First Nations out-of-home care child protection Australia child removal placements |
| title | First Nations Child Removal and New South Wales Out-of-Home Care: A Historical Analysis of the Motivating Philosophies, Imposed Policies, and Underutilised Recommendations |
| title_full | First Nations Child Removal and New South Wales Out-of-Home Care: A Historical Analysis of the Motivating Philosophies, Imposed Policies, and Underutilised Recommendations |
| title_fullStr | First Nations Child Removal and New South Wales Out-of-Home Care: A Historical Analysis of the Motivating Philosophies, Imposed Policies, and Underutilised Recommendations |
| title_full_unstemmed | First Nations Child Removal and New South Wales Out-of-Home Care: A Historical Analysis of the Motivating Philosophies, Imposed Policies, and Underutilised Recommendations |
| title_short | First Nations Child Removal and New South Wales Out-of-Home Care: A Historical Analysis of the Motivating Philosophies, Imposed Policies, and Underutilised Recommendations |
| title_sort | first nations child removal and new south wales out of home care a historical analysis of the motivating philosophies imposed policies and underutilised recommendations |
| topic | First Nations out-of-home care child protection Australia child removal placements |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2313-5778/9/2/62 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jamescbeaufils firstnationschildremovalandnewsouthwalesoutofhomecareahistoricalanalysisofthemotivatingphilosophiesimposedpoliciesandunderutilisedrecommendations |