Australian Government Policy

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Australian Government Policy

The first English settlement in Australia was established in 1788. Before this the Aborigines lived in the land in harmony. However, after the English arrived, the two different cultures were in close contact and had to determine how to coexist. White Europeans did not respect the Aborigines’ right to the land and it’s resources. With brutal force, they took control of the land and claimed it as their own. Australians then developed their own policies on how to deal with the Aborigines, which, as you can expect, bettered their own way of life. There are three historical phases of Australian governmental policies: dispossession, segregation, and assimilation. There are also some recent policies that have acknowledged Aboriginal rights and have increased their autonomy and welfare. This paper will discuss these phases, their effects on the Aborigines and Australia, and the future of Australian race relations.

Introduction

Investigation into the treatment of and government policies enacted against the Aborigines is an important issue because not many know about the history of these people. Just recently, social scientists have started looking into this area. Furthermore, many people believe that the concept of racial inequality has all but disappeared in the world. By examining the case of the Aborigines, it can show what work still needs to be done in order for there to be true equality for indigenous peoples.

Australia was declared a British colony in 1770 (Hollinsworth, 1996). The first colony was established in 1788. From the very beginning, the Aborigines were treated as less human through racist attitudes and government policies. This paper will discuss the different policy periods and ...

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Patton, P. 1996. Sovereignty, law, and difference in Australia: After the Mabo case.

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Reece, B. 1996. "Inventing Aborigines." Terrible hard biscuits. Chapman, V. and Read, P.,

Eds. Australia: Allen & Unwin Pty Ltd.

Reynolds, H. 1999. "New frontiers: Australia." Havemann, P., Ed. Indigenous peoples’ rights in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. New York: Oxford University Press.

Robinson, S. 1996. "The Aboriginal embassy: an account of the protests." Terrible hard

biscuits. Chapman, V. and Read, P., Eds. Australia: Allen & Unwin Pty Ltd.

Webber, J. 2000. "Beyond regret: Mabo’s implications for Australian constitutionalism."

Yu, P. 1996. Aboriginal issues in perspective: Native title rights and self-determination.

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