1. MISSIONS AND MISSIONARY ACTIVITY
Historical context of Missionary Activity

2. Theories attempting to explain the hierarchy of human beings
Such theories popular in Europe and imported to Australia
Colonists believed Aborigines inferior and a dying race
Whites
Peoples of colour
Blacks

3. Colonisation was….
The establishment, often by violent physical force and military power, of British colonies on the Australian continent.

4. Colonisation … Removed aborigines from their traditional lands
Destroyed their sacred sites and essential resources
Disrupted their systems of hunting and gathering
Killed the means for their sustenance

5. Colonisation also…
Introduced foreign diseases such as tuberculosis, measles and whooping cough
Brought foreign vices such as alcohol
Made Aborigines dependent upon white rations and handouts of sugar, flour, tea and blankets.

6. Colonisation institutionalised the systematic exploitation of
Aborigines as forced labourers
Young Aboriginal girls to serve as domestics – often forced to also be sexual partners
Young Aboriginal boys were made to work as stockmen or drovers

7. Aborigines were relegated to
Gathering and sleeping in fringe camps.
The outskirts of white towns, farms and other settlements.

8. instead of condemning this shameful state of affairs,
The churches,
instead of condemning this shameful state of affairs,
made it worse.

9. The Churches claimed
Christianity had a unique relationship with the one true God.
Christianity alone offered salvation to all humanity.
Viewed Christian values as being supreme.

10. Christian missionaries, therefore,
Were determined to change not only the religion of the Aborigines,
but also their culture which the missionaries found unacceptable to their own cultural value system.