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Glossary

A

Aboriginal Protection Board

The Victorian Aboriginal Protection Board was a government organisation created under the Aboriginal Protection Act of 1869, with wide-ranging power over the lives of indigenous people. The Board regulated issues concerning housing, employment, marriage and almost every aspect of daily life. The Board was also responsible for administering various ‘half-caste’ acts that led to the Stolen Generations.


Aboriginal Protector

An Aboriginal Protector was an official of the Aboriginal Protection Board who had the responsibility to provide food, education, medical services, shelter, clothing and religious instruction to Aborigines. In theory they were meant to defend the rights of indigenous people but they often ended up enforcing European laws designed to 'control' Aboriginal people. As a result, some Protectors lost their positions when they tried to stand up for the rights of Aboriginal people.


Aiding and abetting

Helping to organise a crime someone else actually commits.


Alter ego

An alternative identity used to live a second life. Alter-egos are often secret.


Analogies

When you compare two different things by looking at the qualities they both share.


Analyse

Break the topic into parts and assess critically.


Anecdotal

Based on personal observations and experiences.


Anecdotes

A short story about an event or experience which is often amusing or entertaining. Anecdotes can also be used to illustrate a point.


Annotations

Notes that comment on a particular image or section of text.


Antechinuses

Family of Australian marsupials.


Approbation

Approval or praise.


Arid

Dry conditions, often used to describe land.


Armoury

A place where weapons and other military equipment are kept.


Assisted immigration

In order to boost the number of free settlers in the colonies during the late nineteenth century, the Colonial Government helped European migrants (mainly British) to come to Australia by helping to pay for their trip.


Australiana

Resources about Australia and Australian history.


B

Bail

A sum of money paid to release a prisoner from custody. Bail is also like a bond to make sure a person appears in court.


Bar

Practising members of the legal profession. 'The Bar' is named after the imaginary line separating the judge and lawyers from the rest of the court.


Bias

Information which promotes a particular point of view. Bias influences the way the reader or viewer understands a text.


Bibliographical details

Information about the person or organisation that created a source. These details vary depending on the kind of source you're describing.  Bibliographical details include the author's name, date of publication, URL, title etc.


Biodiversity

The natural variety of plants and animals in an environment.


Black War

The ‘Black War’ of the 1800s was a conflict between British settlers and the Aborigines of Van Diemen’s Land, now known as Tasmania, that saw the almost complete genocide of the indigenous population.


Bootleggers

People who make, sell or transport alcohol illegally.


Brown-out

The dimming of lights during war times, to reduce visibility to enemy aircraft.


By-line

The line, usually below a newspaper headline, which gives the author's name. A by-line can also appear under an image in a newspaper, giving the photographer's details.


 

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