Aboriginal Stolen Wages Class Action

Information about the settlement agreement  

In October 2023 the WA Government reached a settlement agreement that supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who worked in Western Australia for little or no wages between 1936 and 1972.  

The settlement recognises the government policies and controls in place during this period.   

These historical policies resulted in many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, particularly those working in the Kimberley region, on pastoral stations and within Native Institutions being paid little or no wages in the claim period.   

On 29 October 2024 the Federal Court approved the settlement agreement in the WA Stolen Wages Class Action. A copy of the Federal Court Judgement is available here. 

On 12 December 2024 the Federal Court issued formal approval orders and appointed David Hodgson and Tony Jonsson from Grant Thornton Australia as the Administrator for the settlement. The Administrator is responsible for administering the Settlement Distribution Scheme, including assessing the eligibility of claims and distributing payments under the settlement. A copy of the approval orders including the Settlement Distribution Scheme are available here. 

The Court orders are subject to an appeal period which expires on 21 February 2025. If there are no appeals made by this time, the Administrator will commence their role of determining claimant eligibility and distributing settlement monies to eligible claimants.   

How do I make a stolen wages claim?