To live as we do

In 1951, Paul Hasluck was appointed Commonwealth Minister for Territories, thereby acquiring responsibility for Aboriginal affairs in the Northern Territory. His credentials were impeccable and his appointment was applauded by advocates of Aboriginal advancement. In his earlier careers as a journalist and historian, he had appealed for improvement in the status of Aboriginal people in his home state of Western Australia. In the mid-1940s, he had been a member of Australia's delegation to the United Nations, whose stance for human rights and against racial discrimination he strongly endorsed. As Minister for Territories, he approached his responsibilities for Aboriginal affairs with characteristic earnestness and energy. Although his formal responsibilities in this sphere were limited to the Northern Territory, he strove to bring state Aboriginal policies into line with those of the Commonwealth.