Aboriginal Australians are the earliest known inhabitants of Australia and surrounding islands, with diverse languages and customs. They were successful hunter-gatherers and fishermen, but suffered from disease and land/resource loss due to British colonization. The population was reduced by 90% through disease, slaughter, and starvation. Discrimination and abuse continued into the 20th century, including the forced removal of Aboriginal children. Many cultures and languages were lost, and problems persist today.
Aboriginal Australians are the indigenous population of the Australian continent, meaning they are the earliest known inhabitants of the continent, as well as the surrounding islands. The Aboriginal word means “first or first known”. The term Aboriginal Australians refers to a large and diverse group of peoples with different languages, customs and backgrounds. These Aboriginal people include the Koori, Murri, Noongar, Yamatji, Wangkai, Nunga, Anangu, Yapa, Yolngu and Palawah groups, spread across different regions of Australia.
The oldest human remains found in Australia are of the Mungo Man, found in 1974 in Lake Mungo. Most experts agree it is around 40,000 years old. While many different theories abound, it is widely accepted that migration to Australia occurred across Southeast Asia via a land bridge between 40,000 and 50,000 years ago. The first Aboriginal people populated the desert regions and coastal areas.
The Aboriginal people were a successful group of people. They were hunter-gatherers or fishermen, depending on where they lived. Evidence of spears, stone tools and eel farming, which survive today, reveals that they thrived in their environment.
Aboriginal Australians experienced an intensified hunter-gatherer period between 3000 and 1000 BC. During this period, Aboriginal people exploited their environment by farming eels and refining tools from local stone. This led to a surge in population, as well as further development of contacts between separate groups, social structures and relations between clans.
Prior to the colonization of Australia by the British, the Aboriginal population is thought to have been close to 1 million. One of the major impacts of early British settlement was disease. The British brought chickenpox, influenza, measles and smallpox, all new diseases to the Aboriginal immune system. Venereal diseases have also put a strain on the population.
In addition to disease, the British impacted Aboriginal Australians by taking their precious land and resources. This was difficult not only because it affected Aboriginal livelihoods, but also because they had a strong spiritual connection to the land, and it was difficult for them to cope. Alcohol, tobacco and opium introduced new social and physical problems for Aboriginal people, problems that large parts of the population still face today.
Between 1788 and 1900, an estimated 90% of Australia’s Aboriginal population was wiped out through disease, slaughter and starvation. There are numerous recorded massacres. Much like American Indians, Aboriginal people were relegated to unwanted lands and often forced to live on the fringes of settlements.
Beginning with the first settlement of Australia and continuing into the latter part of the 20th century, Aboriginal people have faced employment abuses and discrimination. One of the most infamous abuses was the forced removal of what some estimate as 20 Aboriginal children from their families to be brought up by the state. This took place from 100,000 to 1900 and involved children of mixed Aboriginal and European ancestry. The aim was to assimilate these children so that they “reproduce” with whites and not with Aboriginal people. While this has been disputed, the intended purpose was to reduce the Aboriginal population by genetic selection. The term “Stolen Generation” refers to this era, which was portrayed in the 1970 film Rabbit-Proof Fence.
In 1965, the last Australian state granted Aboriginal people the right to vote. Legislation followed which slowly gave legal rights to the population. Change often comes slowly and the damage done to the indigenous population can be irreparable. Many of the cultures and tribes that once existed in Australia have been completely wiped out.
Of the 350-750 languages and dialects detected in the latter part of the 18th century, by the beginning of the 21st century, only 18 remain, of which 21 are endangered. Very rich cultural heritage was lost forever due to assimilation and extermination. Problems related to health care, addictions, poverty, poor education, crime and unemployment are still rampant in the community today.
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