Australia is a beautiful continent comprised of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania as well as other smaller islands. This nation is divided into two main territories comprised of six states. It is the sixth largest country if you consider its total area. Australia is also one of the wealthiest and most developed countries in the whole world.
Australia has one of the richest histories in the world today. This is because it was originally occupied by natives who were colonised by the British in the 1700s. The struggle and the racial debates that developed from this have given Australia a rich history.
The aboriginal race of Australia
The term Aboriginal Australians was used by the Britons when they colonised Australia in the year 1788. They used this term to refer to the inhabitants of the land at that time. This term was later used to refer to any descendants of these people until the late 1980s. Genetically, some Australians have Papuan and Melanesian genes.
Where did they originally come from?
Recent research indicates that the Aboriginal Australians are descendants of the first people to migrate from Africa and Asia to Australia. This is estimated to have been 70,000 ago which is when they started the migration, and they are estimated to have arrived in Australia around 50,000 years ago.
It is believed that they are mainly descendants who came in a single migration into the continent. However, close research indicate that they might have been at least three waves of migration. They used boats to hop through islands during low sea level periods.
Their way of life
Their way of life comprises of mainly hunting and gathering. They used to be mobile depending on the e availability of food and water. They also moved to different areas because of the season changes. Most of their communities had permanent settlements characterized by agriculture and different cultures from different regions. However, the highest population could be found in the East and the South of the continent.
Human rights struggle
The British colonised Australia in the 1700s and they introduced the white settlements. This led to a struggle between the settlers and the Aboriginals which lasted for centuries. In the late 1960s, the indigenous people were still not allowed to mix with the white race. They had designated buses, schools as well as separate seating in public places.
In the year 1938, Aboriginal leader William Cooper led the people in a National day of mourning to raise awareness on the discrimination of Aboriginals. The struggle continued until 1967 when 90 per cent of Australians voted in a referendum aimed to remove this kind of discrimination. This is both a shame and pride in Australian history to this day.
Aboriginal sites in Australia
Today, there are many travel attractions in Australia that commemorate the origins, history, and culture of the Aboriginal Australians. Examples include the Waradah Aboriginal Centre in New South Wales and Cooya Beach in Queensland, but if you are truly interested in discovering more about the Aboriginal people, it’s worthwhile to take up an Aboriginal tour package as these travel destinations are spread out across different regions.
Talk to us today if you want to find out how to use bus hire or minibus hire for such tours.
- Travel Sydney Series: Balmain Bus Charter - March 26, 2019
- Travel Melbourne Series: Casey Bus Charter - March 18, 2019
- Travel Perth Series: Northbridge Bus Hire - March 4, 2019
