 In 1897, the Queensland Parliament passed the "Aboriginal Protection and Restriction of the Sale of Opium Act 1897" (the Protection Act).Under section 9 of the Protection Act, the Home Secretary was granted the power ‘"o cause Aboriginals within any district to be removed to and kept within the limits of any reserve situated in the same or any other district".There were 113 documented removals from the Mossman Gorge area.