The Impact of Colonization on the Australian Aboriginals By Amal Dualeh 8B 1,077

Introduction Before the British came to Australia, the Aboriginals lived peaceful and prosperous lives. However, after colonization was in effect, it started to affect the Aboriginal people of Australia in several negative ways. The British believed that what they were doing was for the Aboriginals’ benefit and that it would help this ‘dying race’, and some would argue that it was for the best. However, this was taken in an opposite direction to the Aboriginals. They believed that all their rights and beliefs were being taken away from them. The several effects on the Aboriginals from the colonization of their land will be explained, including the introduction to diseases they had never been exposed to before, forcing the European lifestyle upon them and taking away their heritage, as well as their land and rights. 133

Diseases During the colonization period of Australia, the British colonizers introduced several deadly diseases into Australia. Since the Indigenous people were never exposed to such diseases, their bodies had no immunity towards such illnesses. Due to this, the population of Aboriginals declined drastically. Also, the elders and younger children were the first usually affected with illnesses. This lead to the middle generation being left, without elders to guide them or a younger generation to leave behind. As seen in the picture to the right, Aboriginals still struggled with surviving these diseases up until the time this picture was taken (date not cited). 101

Diseases As shown in the chart to the right, it shows the dramatic decline in the population of Aboriginals since the beginning of colonization. At first in 1788, the estimated population of Aboriginals was over 300,000, and a dramatic decline occurred between then and around 1947. This shows that the population did not receive the necessary treatment or medication to help treat them from these illnesses. 62

Land Rights As the British settlers started increasing their population in Australia, they started taking over the Indigenous land of the Aboriginals claiming it ‘Terra Nullius’. Veterans of WWI were given Aboriginal ancestral land in Australia to live on and make a living out of. Over time, more and more indigenous land was taken, and Aboriginals were out-casted from their ancestral land, and were put into inhumane conditions to live in. As seen in the picture to the right, the Aboriginals were hunted from their own land (as people could be killed by trespassing) as how they used to hunt animals from their land. 102

Land Rights During the Protection period, Aboriginals were forced to first live on missions, reserves and stations (like the picture to the left). There, they were treated cruelly, given insufficient food, shelter and clothing. During the Assimilation period, they were scatter on the edges of towns, living as ‘fringe dwellers’, without proper water or sewage. However, there were individuals who were trying to get back their ancestral land. For example, in 1997, Eddie Mabo’s case, who overrule the law that Australia was Terra Nullius, helped Aboriginals come a step closer to being able to claim religious and spiritual uses for the land. In August of 1975, Vincent Lingari had successfully land for the Gurindji people, signifying the change that has occurred. 118

‘Stolen Children’ and Life in Society Throughout the British’s inhabitance in Australia, they implemented and forced their ideals and habits into Aboriginal society. This resulted in loss of their culture and discrimination. During the Assimilation period, Aboriginal children were taken away from their families to live in missions in order to teach Christianity. The Aboriginals were forced to live and learn the European lifestyle – a change of food, clothing, and overall daily life. The children were called the ‘Stolen Children’, because their culture and identity was stolen from them. Later on, these children were married off to white people in order to ‘breed out the black’. Children of one Aboriginal parent and one white parent were called ‘half-castes’, usually ‘hunted’ by the government to be taken to missions. This is seen in the movie “Rabbit Proof Fence”, where Molly, Gracie and Daisy are taken away from their family to a mission in order to ‘civilize’ them since as they were half-castes. 196

Stolen Children and Life in Society Also, if an Aboriginal could prove that they had totally abandoned their Aboriginal lifestyle, they could apply for a Certificate of Exemption. They could have the same rights as White Australians (as shown on the left). They were called ‘Dog Tags’ because they had to wear it around their neck to prove that they were exempted, like how a dog wears a collar. Still, Aboriginals were denied respect and were segregated in public from most places, including public parks, clubs and pools, and faced harsh prejudice even after the 1967 Referendum. 125

Conclusion The impact of British colonization affected the Aboriginal people of Australia negatively. As the British though that most of the things they were doing were to help this ‘dying race’, the Aboriginals viewed it totally different – the colonizers were taking every right from them. Firstly, diseases that the British carried from England to Australia spread to the Indigenous people who had no immunity towards it. This caused a huge decline in their population. Secondly, by spreading Christianity, making them dress and live like Europeans, they believed they could civilize them. The children were known as the ‘Stolen Children’ because their heritage and culture were taken away. Thirdly, the colonizers didn’t respect the Aboriginals’ beliefs and culture. They were thrown out of their rightful land, as the British did not understand the connections the Aboriginals had with it. Through the policies of Assimilation and Protection, negative effects were laid upon Aboriginals, but through Self Determination and Reconciliation, all Australians can now see eye to eye and live in harmony as the Indigenous people have rights to live the way they like. 181

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