Group - A O Neville

Auber Octavius Neville (20 October 1875–18 April 1954) was a public servant, notably Chief Protector of Aborigines, in Western Australia. Born in Northumberland, England, Neville immigrated to Victoria, Australia as a child. In 1897 he went from Victoria to Western Australia and joined the civil service there, quickly rising through the ranks. Neville became the state's second appointment, in 1915, to the role of the Chief Protector of Aborigines. During the next quarter-century, he presided over the controversial policy of removing Aboriginal children from their parents. In 1936, Neville became the Commissioner for Native Affairs, a post he held until his retirement in 1940. Opposition to this practice, later termed the Stolen Generation, was advocated at the time, but his role as Commissioner was never persistently challenged.[citation needed] The period of cultural assimilation, attempted during Neville's administration, had followed an era of direct conflict with indigenous Australians.[citation needed] The political support and funding given to Neville was slight and his capacity to improve their circumstances was restricted.[citation needed] Open hostility was still expressed, in public and parliament, and violence in more remote regions was continuing unabated. Many indigenous peoples became impoverished, especially by dislocation, as the population and development of the state increased. The Commission were given the responsibility for these people, who did not have political rights, and Neville sought to improve the circumstances in which they lived.[citation needed]