On the 9th of November 1937 in NSW State Parliament the Honourable Member from Cobar, Mr Mark Davidson, systematically outlined the failure of the State to ‘protect’ or ‘manage’ the Aboriginal population through the Government's use of the Aborigines Protection Board. The discourse that Davidson harnessed to express these failures within Parliament is reminiscent of current political discussion; similar in language and its utilisation of social issues to indicate the supposed desperate need for government intervention. Through his debate, he was successful in bringing about a Select Committee Inquiry into the administration of the Board. 

This Parliamentary debate provides rich detail into the NSW government's response to the severe policies of which the Board had continued to adopt since its establishment in 1883. It also provides a clear depiction of the issues associated with an authoritarian approach to developing or instigating legislation with limited or no consultation. This paper analyses this day in parliament to illuminate both the cyclical nature of Government intervention into Aboriginal autonomy in NSW and the applicability of this Parliamentary debate within a greater discussion about Aboriginal autonomy, control and dimensions of power within contemporary Australia.