By Luke Karam

Introduction The rights for Aborigines to own land has been an issue for hundreds of years. Ever since the British settlement at Sydney Cove, 26 th January 1788, there has been conflict between the native Aborigines and the British who claim the land to be theirs. Despite the good intentions that the British originally had towards the Aborigines, their goal to take the land from them was still a main reason for the feud that occurred between them. There was no respect for the Aborigines and their culture and way of life. The Aboriginal lifestyle was also affected by the introduction of disease and alcohol which all contributed to a break down in their society.

The Conflict Many conflicts occurred when the Aborigines’ land was taken after British settlement in Thousands of people died from diseases brought by the British. Because of the lack of understanding between the British and Aborigines (due to them speaking different languages), negotiations were very hard to make. A particular conflict occurred at a place called Myall Creek. This event known as the Myall Creek Massacre involved the accusation that the Aborigines were stealing sheep from the British. This lead to the British people reacting violently, hunting down the Aborigines and punishing them. This was a terrifying occasion.

Different Perspectives There were 2 different sides to the conflict between the Aborigines and the British. They were, the Aborigines and the British. The Aborigines’ point of view was that they had owned the land before the British came and had been there for thousands of years prior to British settlement. Despite this, they had treated the British kindly until they saw that the British aimed to completely take control over the land. The British point of view was that the land was not claimed and therefore they had every right to settle there. They viewed the Aborigines as lesser people and treated them accordingly. Some of the treatment included taking children from families. This is what’s known as the Stolen Generation as the white people tried to breed out the Aborigines.

Different Responses to the Conflict The British had power over the Aborigines at this time and so the Aborigines were unable to combat the British forces. They attempted to protect their families however many were removed from homes, tortured and even killed. The current response to the issue, by the Australians is that we have apologised to the Aborigines for what the British did to their families. The Aborigines now have rights and are treated equally amongst everybody else.