The previous paragraph was inserted on the insistence of the copyright officer of that department. Queensland State Government Past Queensland Government departments exercised wide ranging control over the lives of Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders, and consequently generated a large collection of records, which are usually housed in the Queensland State Archives. The Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Policy and Development and its predecessors was the most active department. Other participating departments included the Departments of Health, Lands, Auditor-General, Education and Police, and their predecessors. The Community and Personal Histories Section of the Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Policy and Development was established to provide access to these historical records, and will assist with providing proof of date of birth, family trees, family history research, community history research and removal information.
All services are confidential and free of charge.
Funding is also available for family history from the Cultural Heritage Branch of the Department of the Environment. Paul Mackett is an independent researcher who has produced over 100 indexes to these government records, and can be contacted through the Community and Personal Histories Section. In addition the HRM Branch of the Police Separation holds indexes to police trackers. Indexes and records of births deaths and marriage should also be consulted. These are held by the Queensland Registrar-General's Office from 1890 onwards, and by the Queensland State Archives before 1890.