Local Aboriginal People example essay topic

On the 29th o April, 1977 Captain Cook, commander of a British fleet, landed on the eastern shore of Australia, in an attempt to claim the land under the name of Britain. The land was to be claimed by Britain as a land where the British government could send convicts; in an attempt to ease the struggle in the over flowing prisons. Upon Cooks arrival, he was ordered to follow three rules of claiming a foreign land. They were; 1. If the land was not claimed, owned or inhabited by another country or race, Britain could just claim the land as their own. 2.

If the land was already claimed or owned by another country or people, then Britain could easily ask to have, or more likely, purchase some of the desired land. Through under British law, they could not steal the land as their own. 3. If the people who owned the land decided not to give or sell any of it, Britain could declare was on them, to most probably reveal the superior country. During, and after the war, under British law, Britain was still unable to claim any already claimed land as their own, without the permission of the owners. Cook used none of these methods upon his arrival of Australia.

Upon his arrival of Australia the country was already inhabited by the local Aboriginal people. Even though Cook presumably had a knowledge of the laws of claiming land, he did not abide by them. The British settlers instead just took the land as their own, with no regard for the Aboriginal people, starting a war, of sorts, that continues to this very day. (Board of Studies, NSW) White settlers moved into Central Queensland in hopes to find suitable land for their cattle to graze on. In their search this, much like the majority of the other land that had been "Settled" was inhabited by the local Aboriginal people. Again, much like the other portions of land that had 'settled', the 'white settlers' took the Aboriginal people with no regard, killing and wounding them as a way to claim the land.

One of the vile acts that the white people did to the Aboriginals during those times was the raping and sexual mistreatment of many of the Aboriginal women. Probably the worst group to commit such acts was the Frasier Brothers. Boys who grew up on a station raped countless, some what defenceless, women, with no conscience or remorse. These boys did not go unpunished though. They themselves were raped, and killed, by Aboriginal people in acts of self defence.

(Australian Broadcasting Commission) In 1928, following an investigation about the killing of a station owners cattle, constable William George Murray visited the station of Coniston, where on arrival he heard of the death of a local dingo trapper, Fred Brooks. Soon an 'investigation' was started, to find the killers of Brooks. The first people 'convicted' of the crime were to Aboriginal men who strolled into Coniston to trade in some Dingo skins, the were abruptly shot and captured, as they were 'guilty by association'. They were not the last to be punished. Murray soon set up a party to find the killers of Brooks, which included himself, Aboriginal tracker Paddy, half-caste Alex Wilson, Bill Briscoe, Randal Safford and John Sax by. The expedition resulted in the reported death of seventeen Aboriginals.

People say that the number was more likely seven hundred. Because of these violent acts, the Walpiri some what deserted their land, leaving behind a lot of their ancestry and culture. (Plas to) (Elder) Prevention of the Coniston Massacre could have been easily prevented, in retrospect, and could have been prevented over a hundred years before. White settlers had no idea of the Aboriginal Law, or the native Aboriginal tongue, and just assumed on arrival that they could possibly adapt both the English language and the English laws. If the stubborn-ness of the British settlers had not been so great, they could have at the very least made an attempt to educate the Aboriginal people in the British language and laws, which they were so accustomed to.

In an ideal situation, the British settlers would have tried to learn Aboriginal language, and Aboriginal law, and respect their understanding and connection to the land. During the massacre at Coniston, presumably aboriginal people in the area had little understanding of the law. Bullfrog may have had little, if any knowledge of the law, and under Aboriginal law, the killing of Brooks' for not adhering to the agreement may have perfectly justified, and perfectly legal. The impact of the massacre still affects people to this very day. Apart from the obvious impacts, the mass killing of the Walpiri people, the affects grew arguably greater. A massive loss of culture, due to the fact that the Walpiri people virtually deserted their land in fear.

A lot of the stories, and heritage, may not have been passed on, also due to the fact that no doubt a lot of those killed were the elder members of the tribe. Also, psychological problems, from people seeing those killed, or people learning about the deaths of their family members, still, no doubt, affects people in a deep way today. White settling ruined a lot of the Aboriginal culture and history, resulting in over two hundred years of oppression and blood shed of a well cultured race. Arguably this has never been more evident than in the actions that took place in Coniston, actions that a lot of the aboriginal people are still trying to forget.