This chapter focuses on discussing the “founding” of Australia and the events that took place thereafter. Once Australia was “found,” the Aborigines were eventually raped, some were killed, and others subdued. The original people of the land became strangers on said land. Outside of a form of genocide, the creation of a prison colony and the forming of reservations, there were other implications. Policies established by the colonizers caused a myriad of issues for the Aborigines - the most damning being the policy for “Lost Children.” Many changes have occurred since the 1950s and 1960s. An overview of the most pressing developments and issues will be discussed.
Australians all let us rejoice,
For we are one and free;
We’ve golden soil and wealth for toil;
Our home is girt by sea;
Our land abounds in nature’s gifts
Of beauty rich and rare;
In history’s page, let every stage
Advance Australia Fair.
In joyful strains then let us sing,
Advance Australia Fair.
Beneath our radiant Southern Cross
We’ll toil with hearts and hands;
To make this Commonwealth of ours Renowned of all the lands;
For those who’ve come across the seas
We’ve boundless plains to share;
With courage let us all combine
To Advance Australia Fair.
In joyful strains then let us sing,
Advance Australia Fair.
Figure 1. Source: Thinglink (2022) TopIntroduction
Aborigines are tied or linked to the original land of Australia (Nettelback, 2015; Oldfield, 1865; Trigger, 1985), and that tie goes back approximately 60,000 years (Healing Foundation, 2022). Australia was colonized (Chang, 2019; Harrison, 2020; Healing Foundation, 2022; Nettelback, 2015; Oldfield, 1865; Trigger, 1985) in 1788 (Australian Law Reform Commission, 2022; International Work Group in Indigenous Affairs, n.d.; Maxwell-Stewart & Oxley, 2020) on January 26 (Chang, 2019). At that time, there could have been as many as 1.5 million Aborigines inhabiting Australia (International Work Group in Indigenous Affairs, n.d.). From 1788, New South Wales had been established as a convict or penal colony and stayed that way until 1840 (Maxwell-Stewart & Oxley, 2020). Along the same vein, “Van Diemen’s Land” better known as Tasmania was also a convict colony from 1803 to 1853 (Maxwell-Stewart & Oxley, 2020).
Some of the consequences of colonization for the Aborigines was cultural obliteration, disease, famine, wars, etc. (Healing Foundation, 2022; Nettelback, 2015). Due to the violence that Aboriginals continued to endure such as being beaten, raped and killed, reserves were created to try to protect the Aborigines from 1824-1834 in Tasmania by Lieutenant Governor George Arthur (Chang, 2019). Due to the fact that the Aborigines did not wish to stay on reserves (i.e., in general), martial law was finally established in November of 1828 and if caught off their reservations or trespassing, they were to be shot on sight (Chang, 2019). While settlements were spread out (Trigger, 1985), the Aboriginal population had been declining (Oldfield, 1865). In fact, some like Oldfield (1865) noted that the Aboriginal population was declining, and Aboriginal women would soon not be able to have children, however, there was no need to waste resources in order to save the Aboriginal population. Additionally, the Whites were uncertain as to how many Aborigines from different regions still existed at that point (Oldfield, 1865). It was a natural consequence of colonization (Oldfield, 1865).