The key events in Aboriginal Australian history directly influenced educational policies that were instituted during the respective time periods. Some of the first far-reaching official education policies appeared targeting Aborigines appeared during the period of the so-called protection policies. At this time, the stated aim of the government was to protect the indigenous peoples through segregation (Parbury, 2011). Historically, this period stretched from the mid-19th century to the mid-20th century (Lippmann, 1994). As part of the government’s efforts, Aboriginal communities were forced to relocate into reserves, and specific schools were opened to teach Aboriginal children. Hence, education policies at the time mandated the segregation of Aboriginal children in education by setting up special schools and designing curriculum specifically for them (Parbury, 2011). When there were no Aboriginal schools available, public schools were allowed to admit Aboriginal children provided that white parents did not object (Parbury, 2011). These educational policies were met with resistance by the Aboriginal communities. Nichol (2005) explains that Western schooling was perceived as an attack on Aboriginal culture and way of life because education in Aboriginal schools was focused on subservience to white authority and because students experienced discrimination because of race and lack of education. The curriculum did not support the integration of Aboriginal children into society; on the contrary, it “was a blueprint for economic and cultural colonialism, placing all of the Aboriginal children among the lowest orders of society” (Nichol, 2005, p. 265). Hence, the negative responses to protective educational policies from Aboriginal people were justified. In the 20th century, the focus of the government shifted from segregation to assimilation, and educational policies mirrored this shift. Hollinsworth (1998) notes that assimilation policies were driven by increasing racial tensions, as well as by the acknowledgment of the role that segregation played in this process. Additionally, the share of mixed-race persons increased, thus creating difficulties for authorities in maintaining racial segregation policies (Hollinsworth, 1998). As a result, educational policies were designed to support the assimilation of Aboriginal children into white society. Thus, more and more Aboriginal children were admitted into state schools, and teachers received special training to facilitate assimilation. Nichol (2005) and Parbury (2011) state that the curriculum focused on rejecting Aboriginal culture as a whole and teaching children the values and norms of white Australians. Aboriginal students were still perceived to be inferior to white students, and education was used as a mechanism to fix their deficiencies rather than provide meaningful support. In response to assimilation policies, Aboriginal communities exhibited further resistance. Irregular attendance, sullenness, and even hostility towards teachers were exhibited by students during assimilation policies (Nichol, 2005). The attempts to erase Aboriginal culture also evoked cultural resistance, thus strengthening the Aboriginal community and