Impact of European Settlement on
the Indigenous People of Australia.
Arrival
 When Europeans arrived in
Australia they did not
recognize Indigenous
Australian’s complex cultural
social systems.
 Although Europeans were
ordered to be friendly with the
Indigenous people there were
cultural misunderstandings and
conflict from the first days of
settlement.
Disease
 The Europeans introduced many foreign
diseases that had a devastating impact on the
indigenous population.
 One such disease was smallpox – a highly
infectious and contagious illness. It creates
headaches, fever and a rash would cover a
person’s hands and feet. This often meant
people could not walk or feed themselves.
 Indigenous people had no immunity to
small pox and by May 1789 it is estimated
that it had killed half the indigenous people
around Port Jackson.
Assimilation
 Assimilation is when an ethnic group
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becomes a part of a dominant culture.
Many Europeans expected indigenous people
to assimilate into European culture.
Some indigenous people dressed like
Europeans, they started speaking English,
converted to Christianity, worked for
European employers and took on the
European way of life.
Some indigenous people became native police
and assisted the Europeans with their
expansion through out Australia.
Many indigenous people were not fully
accepted or welcomed by European society.
They became ill with depression and substance
abuse.
A Battle for Land
 Europeans declared Australia
Terra Nullius meaning that it was
not owned by anyone.
 The Europeans did not recognize
that indigenous people had lived
on the land for thousands of years
and relied on it for their survival.
 Conflict grew as Europeans
started to cut trees and clear land
for farming. The indigenous
traditions, sacred sites and
sources of food were disrupted
by the Europeans.
Frontier Battles
 Europeans became frustrated with Indigenous
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people blocking their expansion through out
Australia.
There were battles and massacres between the
Europeans and Indigenous people.
Some of the settlers were extremely violent and
cruel to the indigenous people.
The indigenous people were pushed out of the
most fertile and habitable land. The indigenous
population numbers fell rapidly.
There are still debates about this history – some
historians argue that the indigenous people died
mainly of disease, other historians believe that
many were murdered in what can be deemed a
genocide.
Genocide
 Genocide is a term used to describe
the deliberate and systematic
destruction of a culture, ethnic or
political group.
 Some historians believe that the
European settlement of Australia was
a genocide of indigenous people and
culture.
 Other historians refute this and claim
that the rapid decline of indigenous
population and the loss of culture was
due to ‘natural’ causes such as disease.
Settlement or Invasion
 Traditionally the European arrival has
been referred to as the “Australian
settlement”.
 In recent years historians have started to
consider the devastating impact that
European arrival had on indigenous life.
The arrival has began to be seen as an
“invasion”.
 The 26th of January marks the
anniversary of European arrival in
Australia. It is known as Australia Day.
Many people now refer to the day as
Invasion Day.
 What do you think? Should Australia
continue to recognize the 26th of January
as its national day?