Rabbit Proof Fence Research Paper

The removal of the half-caste Aboriginal children was a significant and tragic event that occurred from 1905 until the 1970’s in Australia. Children were forcibly taken from their families and tribes as well as their home land, which ultimately led to the loss of their identity. All of these events occurred because of the strict policies that were put in place by the Australian Government. As a result of this, Indigenous people have suffered greatly because they have lost their sense of connection to the land, which can also be known as The Dreaming. The Dreaming is a sacred part of Indigenous peoples way of life and spirituality.

The dreaming is a term which is not easily explained; it is a complex and important part of Indigenous peoples
Because of this event many Aboriginal people suffered greatly and still continue to suffer today. During this time many Indigenous people lost their sense of spirituality and way of life. Half-caste children were forcibly removed from their families due to various government policies. Children were ripped away from their families and were taught to reject their Indigenous heritage and to adopt white culture. Their names were often changed, and they were forbidden to speak their traditional languages. It is evident how much pain and suffering was caused from this, when watching the film, Rabbit Proof Fence. In the film, there is a recurring motif of pain and trauma. Mr Neville (also called Mr devil), shown to be in charge of organising the removal, was given the title of Chief Protector of Aborigines. From the name of his title it is shown that the government thought that they were doing the right thing by removing half-caste children from their families. They did it because they thought that “By taking children away from the ‘bad influence’ of their parents and family it would be easier to make them more ‘European’, to force them to fit into white society” (Source 4). White authorities believed that Indigenous parents were unable to properly look after their children. Indigenous children who had European ancestry were removed from their parents in order to be ‘socialised' into being ‘white’. During the 1920’s and 1930’s this socialisation was taken further by some. Mr. Neville thought that the Indigenous race should be bred into extinction. This was a belief that many people held in the early part of the 20th century, also known as ‘eugenics’. It was related to Darwin’s theory on evolution: the stronger race would overcome the weaker race through selective breeding. Mr. Neville believed that biological assimilation could be achieved by