Australia Geography and Economics

The Stolen Generation

The Aboriginal people were forcibly removed from their families as children between the 1900s and the 1960s to be brought up by white foster families or in institutions.

Aboriginal

Being the first of its kind in a region; primitive native; Australian Natives.

Penal colony

A colony to which convicts are sent as an alternative to prison.

Commonwealth

A self-governing country associated with another country.

Dreamtime

A term describing the Australian Aboriginal spiritual belief system and concept of creation.

Rituals

Formal ceremonial behaviors with a specific purpose and significance.

James Cook

English navigator who claimed the east coast of Australia for Britain and discovered several Pacific islands (1728 to 1779).

Settler

A person who settles in a new colony or moves into a new country.

Assimilation

The process by which a minority group is absorbed into the mainstream culture.

Ethnic group

A group of people who share common ancestry, language, religion, customs, or a combination of such characteristics.

Aborigines Protection Act of 1909

The first law regarding the policy of taking away Aboriginal children from their families until age 18.

Australian Citizenship Amendment Act 1993

Introduced a pledge of commitment to replace the old oath of affirming commitment to the nation and now pledging allegiance to the sovereign.

Indigenous People

Those who inhabited a country or a geographical region at the time when people of different cultures or ethnic origins arrived.

Botany Bay

An inlet of the Tasman Sea on the southeast coast of Australia surrounded by the suburbs of Sydney; British penal settlement in the 19th century.

Nomadic

A way of life of individuals that move from place to place and do not reside in the same area for long.

Smallpox

A serious and often deadly viral infection that is very contagious; many Aboriginals died when England first colonized Australia.

After colonization, how were Aboriginal people treated?

The surviving Aboriginal people were often mistreated by colonists.

What laws affected where Aboriginal people could live and work?

Laws were put in place to limit where Aboriginals could live and work.

What kind of jobs were many Aboriginal people forced to do?

Many were forced to work at low-paying jobs as stock hands or laborers.

What were Aboriginal people forbidden from teaching their children?

Aboriginals were forbidden from teaching their children their own language and customs.

What happened to tribes in the 1830s?

In the 1830s, remnants of the tribes in the settled areas were moved onto reserves in the Outback.

What was separation policy in the 1900s?

During the 1900s, separation was an official government policy that lasted for many decades.

What happened to Aboriginal children during separation?

Children were taken away from their parents and sent to European schools.

What identity problem do many Aboriginal people face?

Many Aboriginal people do not know their origins, which tribe they are descended from, or the names of their parents or grandparents.

How is the separated generation described?

Sadly, they are a lost generation.

How many Aboriginal people live in Australia today?

There are approximately 983,000 Aboriginal people in Australia today.

What percentage of Australia’s population is Aboriginal?

Only about 3\% of the population.

How did European colonization affect Aboriginal communities?

European colonization of Australia was devastating for the Aboriginal communities.

How did Aboriginal life change after European contact?

The Aboriginal way of life in modern Australia is drastically different than it was prior to European contact.

What happened to Aboriginal languages?

The 28 Aboriginal language families were nearly wiped out by European colonization.

How many Australians speak an Indigenous language today?

Out of 24.1 million Australians, only about 48,000 speak an Indigenous language.

What is the dominant language in Australia?

English is the dominant language of the country.

What emotional effects were passed down through generations?

New generations have inherited their ancestors’ deep trauma and anger from losing their land, culture, and families.

How much more likely are Aboriginal children to be incarcerated?

Aboriginal children are 24 times more likely to spend time incarcerated than their non-Indigenous classmates.

What cycle affects many Aboriginal people?

Many Aboriginals end up trapped in a life of poverty and crime.

Why do poverty rates remain high among Aboriginal people?

Decades of discrimination and mistreatment have left them with poor healthcare, education, and employment.

Aboriginal male life expectancy

69.1 years

Aboriginal female life expectancy

73.7 years

Non-Indigenous male life expectancy

79.7 years

Non-Indigenous female life expectancy

83.1 years