Why did protectorates for Aboriginal peoples in New South Wales fail during the 1830s?

During the 1830s, attempts were made to safeguard Aboriginal peoples in New South Wales by placing them under supervision in protectorates; however, these efforts failed and were ultimately abandoned.12

The failure of these protectorates was largely due to the intense pressure of colonial expansion, which was driven by the rapid growth of the pastoral industry. As settlers moved outward to claim land for sheep and cattle, they frequently encroached upon Aboriginal territories, leading to violent clashes, displacement, and the destruction of traditional ways of life.123

While the British government and colonial governors often maintained that Aboriginal people should be treated with humanity and as British subjects, the local government lacked the means to effectively enforce these protections in outlying districts. Consequently, the law generally favored settlers, and acts of violence against Aboriginal people—including massacres and forced dispersals—often went unpunished. These systemic challenges, combined with the inexorable demand for land, rendered the protectorates ineffective in their goal of safeguarding Aboriginal populations.124