This extract from the Sydney Morning Herald covers the activities of the NSW Legislative Council including the presentation of a petition.

Aborigines - Petition - Hansard, Legislative Council, 26 August 1853

Consorting laws make it a crime to associate with people who have criminal records or who are perceived as threats to public safety. These laws aim to control public behaviour and purport to prevent crime. In practice, the enforcement of consorting laws has disproportionately impacted upon Aboriginal people.