Historical Overview of

European impact on Aboriginal culture and spirituality.

© 2006 HSC Course: Religion and Belief Systems in Australia Post-2945. This sheet may be photocopied for non-commercial classroom use.

THE SETTLEMENT PERIOD

© 2006 HSC Course: Religion and Belief Systems in Australia Post-2945. This sheet may be photocopied for non-commercial classroom use.

1788 Culture Contact

© 2006 HSC Course: Religion and Belief Systems in Australia Post-2945. This sheet may be photocopied for non-commercial classroom use.

1788 Culture Contact

Europeans brought a new dimension to the ‘World’ of the Aboriginal people. They saw Europeans as reincarnations of the dead from the spirit world.

© 2006 HSC Course: Religion and Belief Systems in Australia Post-2945. This sheet may be photocopied for non-commercial classroom use.

© 2006 HSC Course: Religion and Belief Systems in Australia Post-2945. This sheet may be photocopied for non-commercial classroom use.

1788 Culture Contact

Europeans brought a new dimension to the ‘World’ of the Aboriginal people. They saw Europeans as reincarnations of the dead from the spirit world.Governor Phillip attempted to foster good relations and to place Aboriginal people under the protection of British Law.

© 2006 HSC Course: Religion and Belief Systems in Australia Post-2945. This sheet may be photocopied for non-commercial classroom use.

1788 Culture Contact

Europeans brought a new dimension to the ‘World’ of the Aboriginal people. They saw Europeans as reincarnations of the dead from the spirit world.Governor Phillip attempted to foster good relations and to place Aboriginal people under the protection of British Law.

Settlers showed no interest in trying to understand the Aboriginal people. They believed them to be primitive, with no system of law or beliefs.

© 2006 HSC Course: Religion and Belief Systems in Australia Post-2945. This sheet may be photocopied for non-commercial classroom use.

1788 Culture Contact

Europeans brought a new dimension to the ‘World’ of the Aboriginal people. They saw Europeans as reincarnations of the dead from the spirit world.Governor Phillip attempted to foster good relations and to place Aboriginal people under the protection of British Law.

Settlers showed no interest in trying to understand the Aboriginal people. They believed them to be primitive, with no system of law or beliefs.

1789Culture Conflict

© 2006 HSC Course: Religion and Belief Systems in Australia Post-2945. This sheet may be photocopied for non-commercial classroom use.

1788 Culture Contact

Europeans brought a new dimension to the ‘World’ of the Aboriginal people. They saw Europeans as reincarnations of the dead from the spirit world.Governor Phillip attempted to foster good relations and to place Aboriginal people under the protection of British Law.

Settlers showed no interest in trying to understand the Aboriginal people. They believed them to be primitive, with no system of law or beliefs.

1789Culture Conflict

Life for the Aboriginal Australians would never be the same again. Many misunderstandings due to cultural differences would be carried through to today.

1788 Culture Contact

Europeans brought a new dimension to the ‘World’ of the Aboriginal people. They saw Europeans as reincarnations of the dead from the spirit world.Governor Phillip attempted to foster good relations and to place Aboriginal people under the protection of British Law.

Settlers showed no interest in trying to understand the Aboriginal people. They believed them to be primitive, with no system of law or beliefs.

1789Culture Conflict

Life for the Aboriginal Australians would never be the same again. Many misunderstandings due to cultural differences would be carried through to today.The Aboriginal people started to resist by fighting a guerrilla-type warfare.

© 2006 HSC Course: Religion and Belief Systems in Australia Post-2945. This sheet may be photocopied for non-commercial classroom use.

© 2006 HSC Course: Religion and Belief Systems in Australia Post-2945. This sheet may be photocopied for non-commercial classroom use.

1800’s

© 2006 HSC Course: Religion and Belief Systems in Australia Post-2945. This sheet may be photocopied for non-commercial classroom use.

1820’sThe Beginning of

Transitional Aboriginal Society

© 2006 HSC Course: Religion and Belief Systems in Australia Post-2945. This sheet may be photocopied for non-commercial classroom use.

1820’sThe Beginning of

Transitional Aboriginal Society

During this time, around Sydney and Brisbane, many Aboriginal groups lost their independence and many became drifters.

© 2006 HSC Course: Religion and Belief Systems in Australia Post-2945. This sheet may be photocopied for non-commercial classroom use.

1820’sThe Beginning of

Transitional Aboriginal Society

During this time, around Sydney and Brisbane, many Aboriginal groups lost their independence and many became drifters.Many experienced malnutrition and starvation.

© 2006 HSC Course: Religion and Belief Systems in Australia Post-2945. This sheet may be photocopied for non-commercial classroom use.

1820’sThe Beginning of

Transitional Aboriginal Society

During this time, around Sydney and Brisbane, many Aboriginal groups lost their independence and many became drifters.Many experienced malnutrition and starvation.Alcohol was already a major problem.

© 2006 HSC Course: Religion and Belief Systems in Australia Post-2945. This sheet may be photocopied for non-commercial classroom use.

1820’sThe Beginning of

Transitional Aboriginal Society

During this time, around Sydney and Brisbane, many Aboriginal groups lost their independence and many became drifters.Many experienced malnutrition and starvation.Alcohol was already a major problem.Many groups died out.

© 2006 HSC Course: Religion and Belief Systems in Australia Post-2945. This sheet may be photocopied for non-commercial classroom use.

1820’sThe Beginning of

Transitional Aboriginal Society

During this time, around Sydney and Brisbane, many Aboriginal groups lost their independence and many became drifters.Many experienced malnutrition and starvation.Alcohol was already a major problem.Many groups died out.Miscegenation or mixing of races was occurring in the settled areas.

© 2006 HSC Course: Religion and Belief Systems in Australia Post-2945. This sheet may be photocopied for non-commercial classroom use.

1820’sThe Beginning of

Transitional Aboriginal Society

During this time, around Sydney and Brisbane, many Aboriginal groups lost their independence and many became drifters.Many experienced malnutrition and starvation.Alcohol was already a major problem.Many groups died out.Miscegenation or mixing of races was occurring in the settled areas.

1830’sDispossession of

Land

© 2006 HSC Course: Religion and Belief Systems in Australia Post-2945. This sheet may be photocopied for non-commercial classroom use.

1820’sThe Beginning of

Transitional Aboriginal Society

During this time, around Sydney and Brisbane, many Aboriginal groups lost their independence and many became drifters.Many experienced malnutrition and starvation.Alcohol was already a major problem.Many groups died out.Miscegenation or mixing of races was occurring in the settled areas.

1830’sDispossession of

Land

Aboriginal tribal/language groups, and the social bands which belonged to them, had lost great tracts of land due to the crossing of the Blue Mountains.

© 2006 HSC Course: Religion and Belief Systems in Australia Post-2945. This sheet may be photocopied for non-commercial classroom use.

1820’sThe Beginning of

Transitional Aboriginal Society

During this time, around Sydney and Brisbane, many Aboriginal groups lost their independence and many became drifters.Many experienced malnutrition and starvation.Alcohol was already a major problem.Many groups died out.Miscegenation or mixing of races was occurring in the settled areas.

1830’sDispossession of

Land

Aboriginal tribal/language groups, and the social bands which belonged to them, had lost great tracts of land due to the crossing of the Blue Mountains.This caused spiritual, social and economic disintegration.

© 2006 HSC Course: Religion and Belief Systems in Australia Post-2945. This sheet may be photocopied for non-commercial classroom use.

1820’sThe Beginning of

Transitional Aboriginal Society

During this time, around Sydney and Brisbane, many Aboriginal groups lost their independence and many became drifters.Many experienced malnutrition and starvation.Alcohol was already a major problem.Many groups died out.Miscegenation or mixing of races was occurring in the settled areas.

1830’sDispossession of

Land

Aboriginal tribal/language groups, and the social bands which belonged to them, had lost great tracts of land due to the crossing of the Blue Mountains.This caused spiritual, social and economic disintegration.

1840’s to 1880Pacification by Force

© 2006 HSC Course: Religion and Belief Systems in Australia Post-2945. This sheet may be photocopied for non-commercial classroom use.

1820’sThe Beginning of

Transitional Aboriginal Society

During this time, around Sydney and Brisbane, many Aboriginal groups lost their independence and many became drifters.Many experienced malnutrition and starvation.Alcohol was already a major problem.Many groups died out.Miscegenation or mixing of races was occurring in the settled areas.

1830’sDispossession of

Land

Aboriginal tribal/language groups, and the social bands which belonged to them, had lost great tracts of land due to the crossing of the Blue Mountains.This caused spiritual, social and economic disintegration.

1840’s to 1880Pacification by Force

This was a period of ‘Pacification by Force’. It wasn’t until 1870 that there was an increased awareness of the plight of the Aboriginal people, especially by anthropologists, who showed the intricacy of Aboriginal social and religious organisation.

© 2006 HSC Course: Religion and Belief Systems in Australia Post-2945. This sheet may be photocopied for non-commercial classroom use.

1820’sThe Beginning of

Transitional Aboriginal Society

During this time, around Sydney and Brisbane, many Aboriginal groups lost their independence and many became drifters.Many experienced malnutrition and starvation.Alcohol was already a major problem.Many groups died out.Miscegenation or mixing of races was occurring in the settled areas.

1830’sDispossession of

Land

Aboriginal tribal/language groups, and the social bands which belonged to them, had lost great tracts of land due to the crossing of the Blue Mountains.This caused spiritual, social and economic disintegration.

1840’s to 1880Pacification by Force

This was a period of ‘Pacification by Force’. It wasn’t until 1870 that there was an increased awareness of the plight of the Aboriginal people, especially by anthropologists, who showed the intricacy of Aboriginal social and religious organisation.

1880-1911Protection Policies

© 2006 HSC Course: Religion and Belief Systems in Australia Post-2945. This sheet may be photocopied for non-commercial classroom use.

1820’sThe Beginning of

Transitional Aboriginal Society

During this time, around Sydney and Brisbane, many Aboriginal groups lost their independence and many became drifters.Many experienced malnutrition and starvation.Alcohol was already a major problem.Many groups died out.Miscegenation or mixing of races was occurring in the settled areas.

1830’sDispossession of

Land

Aboriginal tribal/language groups, and the social bands which belonged to them, had lost great tracts of land due to the crossing of the Blue Mountains.This caused spiritual, social and economic disintegration.

1840’s to 1880Pacification by Force

This was a period of ‘Pacification by Force’. It wasn’t until 1870 that there was an increased awareness of the plight of the Aboriginal people, especially by anthropologists, who showed the intricacy of Aboriginal social and religious organisation.

1880-1911Protection Policies

Policies were introduced in the different states during this time.

1820’sThe Beginning of

Transitional Aboriginal Society

During this time, around Sydney and Brisbane, many Aboriginal groups lost their independence and many became drifters.Many experienced malnutrition and starvation.Alcohol was already a major problem.Many groups died out.Miscegenation or mixing of races was occurring in the settled areas.

1830’sDispossession of

Land

Aboriginal tribal/language groups, and the social bands which belonged to them, had lost great tracts of land due to the crossing of the Blue Mountains.This caused spiritual, social and economic disintegration.

1840’s to 1880Pacification by Force

This was a period of ‘Pacification by Force’. It wasn’t until 1870 that there was an increased awareness of the plight of the Aboriginal people, especially by anthropologists, who showed the intricacy of Aboriginal social and religious organisation.

1880-1911Protection Policies

Policies were introduced in the different states during this time.A result of the Protection Policies was the establishment of reserves. Aboriginal people lived in poverty with poor education and few employment opportunities. They became dependent on Governments, and on reserve and mission superintendents and administrators. Aborigines had no citizenship rights during this period.

© 2006 HSC Course: Religion and Belief Systems in Australia Post-2945. This sheet may be photocopied for non-commercial classroom use.

© 2006 HSC Course: Religion and Belief Systems in Australia Post-2945. This sheet may be photocopied for non-commercial classroom use.

1900’s…

© 2006 HSC Course: Religion and Belief Systems in Australia Post-2945. This sheet may be photocopied for non-commercial classroom use.

1940’s and 50’sAssimilation in Action

© 2006 HSC Course: Religion and Belief Systems in Australia Post-2945. This sheet may be photocopied for non-commercial classroom use.

1940’s and 50’sAssimilation in Action

The European view was that the only future for the Aboriginal people was to be “Europeanised”. The policy, if effective, would mean the eventual disappearance of traditional Aboriginal lifestyle.

© 2006 HSC Course: Religion and Belief Systems in Australia Post-2945. This sheet may be photocopied for non-commercial classroom use.

1940’s and 50’sAssimilation in Action

The European view was that the only future for the Aboriginal people was to be “Europeanised”. The policy, if effective, would mean the eventual disappearance of traditional Aboriginal lifestyle.

1970’s

Traditional life strongholds and

outstation movement

© 2006 HSC Course: Religion and Belief Systems in Australia Post-2945. This sheet may be photocopied for non-commercial classroom use.

1940’s and 50’sAssimilation in Action

The European view was that the only future for the Aboriginal people was to be “Europeanised”. The policy, if effective, would mean the eventual disappearance of traditional Aboriginal lifestyle.

1970’s

Traditional life strongholds and

outstation movement

This movement was working towards the strengthening of traditional life strongholds.

© 2006 HSC Course: Religion and Belief Systems in Australia Post-2945. This sheet may be photocopied for non-commercial classroom use.

1940’s and 50’sAssimilation in Action

The European view was that the only future for the Aboriginal people was to be “Europeanised”. The policy, if effective, would mean the eventual disappearance of traditional Aboriginal lifestyle.

1970’s

Traditional life strongholds and

outstation movement

This movement was working towards the strengthening of traditional life strongholds.

There was also the development of the outstation movement in the north with Aboriginal people leaving larger settlements on reserves in favour of smaller centres. This “homeland” movement occurred in Arnhem Land, the Western Desert, and the north of Western Australia.

© 2006 HSC Course: Religion and Belief Systems in Australia Post-2945. This sheet may be photocopied for non-commercial classroom use.

1940’s and 50’sAssimilation in Action

The European view was that the only future for the Aboriginal people was to be “Europeanised”. The policy, if effective, would mean the eventual disappearance of traditional Aboriginal lifestyle.

1970’s

Traditional life strongholds and

outstation movement

This movement was working towards the strengthening of traditional life strongholds.

There was also the development of the outstation movement in the north with Aboriginal people leaving larger settlements on reserves in favour of smaller centres. This “homeland” movement occurred in Arnhem Land, the Western Desert, and the north of Western Australia.

To the Future

© 2006 HSC Course: Religion and Belief Systems in Australia Post-2945. This sheet may be photocopied for non-commercial classroom use.

1940’s and 50’sAssimilation in Action

The European view was that the only future for the Aboriginal people was to be “Europeanised”. The policy, if effective, would mean the eventual disappearance of traditional Aboriginal lifestyle.

1970’s

Traditional life strongholds and

outstation movement

This movement was working towards the strengthening of traditional life strongholds.

There was also the development of the outstation movement in the north with Aboriginal people leaving larger settlements on reserves in favour of smaller centres. This “homeland” movement occurred in Arnhem Land, the Western Desert, and the north of Western Australia.

To the Future There is a contemporary cultural revival in Aboriginal Australia including the revival of Aboriginal languages.

(Exerpts from Aboriginal Australians: A Preliminary Chronology, Support Document No. 3, Aboriginal Education Unit, 1982.)