William Sanders: ‘A Progressive Inclusive & a Group Conservative’ Indigenous Policy Under the Menzies Government

Minister for Territories Paul Hasluck opens new buildings at Retta Dixon Homes, Darwin, in 1961 to move its wards away from Bagot reserve, National Archives of Australia

When Robert Menzies was Prime Minister, Indigenous policy was exclusively a matter for State Governments as set out in the Australian Constitution. This would change after the 1967 referendum, which Menzies was instrumental in planning, but until then the primary area in which the Federal Government could legislate, manage, and reform Indigenous policy was in the administration of Commonwealth Territories and particularly the Northern Territory. So it was under the direction of Paul Hasluck, appointed Minister for Territories in 1951, that a significant program of reform was carried out.

Hasluck was a remarkable man who was highly dedicated to this area of policy making. He was a member of the Australian Aborigines Amelioration Association, and wrote articles for the West Australian which were scathing in their criticism of how Indigenous Australians were being treated. He completed a Masters thesis on Indigenous Affairs at the University of Western Australia. Seizing the opportunities provided by his portfolio, he did what he could to advance the legal and economic equality of Indigenous Australians compared to their white counterparts. Nevertheless, his views were shaped by the assimilationist mindset of the era, and consequently his reforming legacy has become controversial.

Joining us to discuss these issues is William Sanders, an Honorary Associate Professor with the Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research (CAEPR) at the Australian National University. Will joined CAEPR as a Research Fellow in 1993 and was appointed as Fellow in 1999 and Senior Fellow in 2007. His undergraduate training was in government, public administration, and political science, and his PhD was on the inclusion of Aboriginal people in the social security system. Will's research interests cover the political and social aspects of Indigenous policy, as well as the economic. He regularly works on Indigenous people's participation in elections, on housing and social security policy issues, and on federal and intergovernmental aspects of Indigenous affairs policy.