Mr Levey, 10 April 1867
'The question of what should be done with the half-caste children was one that deserved the consideration of the Government. He felt certain that the half-castes were easily amenable to the influence of civilisation, and mentioned the case of a half-caste girl, who was employed in domestic service in Melbourne, who was earning good wages, and who conducted herself as well as the average of domestic servants. He considered it monstrous that children very nearly white should be trained to all manner of profligacy, and he held that the State should have power to take them from their parents, in order to save them from such a fate, even though the parents might not be disposed to give them up'₁.

Mr Levey, 10 April 1867
'Mr Levey remarked that, in dealing with these children, some attention must be paid to their phisique. In every instance of attempting to civilize the young aborigines, and make them acquainted with useful trades, matters had gone on satisfactorily until the poor fellows reached the age of seventeen or eighteen, and then they suddenly died … The result of the experiment at Coranderrk, of keeping the aborigines in a half-civilized state, was that two or three generations were in existence, and that the number of pure-bred savages had increased'₂.

Mr Watkins, 10 April 1867
'Mr Watkins suggested the adoption of some means to make the young aborigines and half-castes of service to the country, and independent of the stations which were maintained at the cost of the Government … He considered that it would be advantageous, both for the aboriginal race and the country, if the young people, when they arrived at a proper age, were removed from the stations, and placed out in positions where they could earn their living in a respectable way - proper security for their care and maintenance being taken in every case. This would be far better than allowing them to remain the associates of the elder aborigines, and to acquire slothful and vicious habits, and thus to be of no service to the country. He also submitted that this work of looking after the aborigines should not be delegated to an irresponsible body. He thought it absurd that large portions of the country should be allowed to lie waste, merely that the aborigines might have hunting or fishing grounds, as they were called'₃.

Mr McLellan, 10 April 1867
'He could say, from his own experiences, that the aborigines did not get the full benefit of the money voted by the House. A great deal of it was squandered in correspondence, and in other ways. As to the state of the aborigines at the present time, it was truly deplorable. Anyone visiting the stations would there see fine boys, who might be employed in any capacity whatever, brought up as savages, and yet half of the blood in their veins was European. There was not one child in a dozen born that was not half-caste … He considered that the children should be so brought up that, when they arrived at a proper age, they could be put out to some useful employment. Unless a course of that kind were adopted, in a few years the Government would have stations for the shelter not of aborigines but of white savages. If a remedy could not be applied to the state of things he had described, it would be better not to vote any further money, but to let the aborigines die out in the course of nature'₅.