Figure 1.--This is a group of Australian Aborigines preparing for a corroboree, a cerimonial meeting. The photo was taken near Cairns, in North Queensland. We are not sure when it was taken, perhaps the 1930s. |
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The original population of Australia are the Aborigines, a stone-age people. These are the dark-skinned descendents of the early human migration out of Africa at the dawn of the emergen of modern man. They followed a route east along the coast of southern Asia, finally arriving in New Guinea and Australia, but never reaching New Zealand. At the time there was a land bridge between what is now Southeast Asia and the Indonesian Archepeligo/New Guinae/Australia (about 40,000 years ago). The aboriginies eventually migrated throughout the Australian continent. At the same time, ocean levels rose and Australia was cut off from Asia. Technologically the Aborigines in isolation developed slower than other peoples.
The original Aborigines are like Native Americans to the north believed to have arrived as small, isolated bands. The population grew substantially and adapted itself to the many varied environmental and climatic conditions existing in Australia. At the time British settlement began (1788), there are belieced to have been about 1 million Aborigines, thinly settled around the colony. Some scholars estimate there there were more than 200 different languages. Aborigines languages are poorly studied. Most have now disappeared. Australians were almost totaly isolated. Indonesian Muslims in the period just before the Europeas arrived fished off off Arnhem Land in the northern territory. They were known as the Macassans. They had a very limited impact, but did enter Aboriginal myths. The Europeans of course had a major impact. The Europeans primarily settled in the southeast, the area from Melbourne to Sydney. The aboriginal population in this area crashed, declining 96 percent after only a few decades of European settlement (1850). The cause were a mix of disease, forced labor, and not infrequently actual murder.
Along with the British settlers came Christian missionaries. The Wesleyan Missionary Society began the first missionary effort with the Aborigines (1821). Missionaries steadily expanded their efforts. Church settlements were operating throughout Australia (mid-19th century). There was some aboriginal resistance to the missionaries, but most accepted evangelical Christianity while not entirely dropping their ancestral beliefs. An estmated two-thirds of Aborigines now identify themselves as Christian. The Aborigines have had the most difficulty of any Australian immigrant group in assimilating into modern Australia. The reasons have been both racial and cultural. They are economically the poorest ethnic groups in Australia.
The original population of Australia are the Aborigines, a stone-age people. Forvyears their origins were debated by researchers. Now thabks to DNA studies we know they originated in Africa. These are the dark-skinned descendents of the early human migration out of Africa at the dawn of the emergen of modern man. They followed a route east along the coast of southern Asia, finally arriving in New Guinea and Australia, but never reaching New Zealand. At the time there was a land bridge or at least a very narrow sea gap between what is now Southeast Asia and the Indonesian Archepeligo/New Guinea/Australia (about 40,000-50,000 years ago). [Wells] The aboriginies eventually migrated throughout the Australian continent.
Estonian scientists using DNA fractions from both male and female lines have proved that the aborigines
are Homo sapiens sapiens and they came from Africa. They replaced, rather than integrated with the lesser humanoids. We are not sure just what lesser humanoids they encounteted. [Hudjashov] Researchers differ on the size of the original migrant population. Some think it was sizeable. Others believe that it was was a realtively small group of isolared bands. Here the researchers are hindered by a lack of fossil material and there is much disagreement in the interpretation of the findings.
When ocean levels rose, Australia and the aboriginal population was cut off from Asia. The same occurred to the Bearing Sea land bridge. Technologically the Aborigines in isolation developed slower than other peoples. Australians were almost totaly isolated.
Indonesian Muslims in the period just before the Europeans arrived fished off off Arnhem Land in the northern territory. They were known as the Macassans. They had a very limited impact, but did enter Aboriginal myths.
The original Aborigines are like Native Americans to the north believed to have arrived as small, isolated bands. The population grew substantially and thrived in Australia. They adapted to the many varied environmental and climatic conditions existing in Australia. At the time British settlement began (1788), there are belieced to have been about 1 million Aborigines, thinly settled around the colony. Some scholars estimate there there were more than 200 different languages. Aborigines languages are poorly studied.
Most Aborigennes have disappeared since the arrival of Europeans. The Europeans of course had a major impact. The Europeans primarily settled in the southeast, the area from Melbourne to Sydney. The aboriginal population in this area crashed, declining 96 percent after only a few decades of European settlement (1850). The cause were a mix of disease, forced labor, and not infrequently actual murder. This situation resulted in the emergence of several millennial cults which projected the destruction or withdrawl of white settlers. Among the best known of these was the Mulunga, a ceremony designed to use supernatural powers to undermine the power of whites.>
Along with the British settlers came Christian missionaries. The Wesleyan Missionary Society began the first missionary effort with the Aborigines (1821). Missionaries steadily expanded their efforts. Church settlements were operating throughout Australia (mid-19th century). There was some aboriginal resistance to the missionaries, but most accepted evangelical Christianity while not entirely dropping their ancestral beliefs. An estmated two-thirds of Aborigines now identify themselves as Christian.
The Aborigines have had the most difficulty of any Australian immigrant group in assimilating into modern Australia. The reasons have been both racial and cultural. They are economically the poorest ethnic groups in Australia.
Hudjashov, Georgi. Georgi Hudjashov and colleagues at the University of Tartu in Estonia compared the DNA of living indigenous Australians at Kalumburu, Western Australia with DNA taken from people in New Guinea and various Indian Ocean sites.
Wells, Spencer. Journey of Man: A Genetic Odessy.
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