[1][2] The Act made Victoria the first colony to enact comprehensive regulations on the lives of Aboriginal Australians.
The Act and subsequent regulations gave the Board extensive powers over the lives of Aboriginal Victorians, including regulation of residence, employment, marriage, social life, custody of children and other aspects of daily life.
In 1871 the Board developed further controls over where Aboriginal people could live and work, what they could do, who they could meet or marry.
According to Broome: "In one move, the Board's costs would be reduced and the Aboriginal race would vanish as the 'full bloods' aged and died, and the 'half castes' were blended to whiteness.
"[6] The policy was implemented on the eve of the 1890s depression leading to hardship for many of those expelled from reserves.