Contemporary Health Impacts of Colonisation and Assimilation Policies on Australia's First People

CONTEMPORARY HEALTH IMPACTS OF COLONISATION
AND ASSIMILATION POLICIES ON AUSTRALIA'S FIRST
PEOPLE
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10/06/2023

Introduction
 The objective of this presentation is to discuss how
the policies framed during the Colonisation Era
(1788 to 1880) and Assimilation Era (1950 to 1960)
have affected the contemporary health of the First
Australians
 Also, how such policies have affected the building of
a trusting relationship between the First Australians
and Healthcare Professionals (alrc.gov.au., 2018).
 The presentation outlines the policies and their
effects on the First Islanders and how that affected
their health and well being.
 This can help to understand the challenges created
in the development of a trusting relationship,
providing a historical context on these problems.
10/06/2023

Colonisation Era (1788-1880) and its impact
 During this time, the European settlers in Australia
claimed the land was inhabitable or ‘terra nullius’.
 At this point, any attempts made by the indigenous Aboriginal
population against the European occupation was considered as
an act of rebellion against Great Britain.
 This ‘act of rebellion’ was then used to rationalise the occupation
of the land and the dispossession of the people
(australianstogether.org.au, 2018).
 In 1788, Admiral Arthur Philip of Great Britain
proclaimed Australia to be a British sovereign property.
 The norm of setting up colonies was normal for the
contemporary European countries.
 Policies during this era was aimed towards the appropriation of
Aboriginal homelands
 It also tried to either ‘domesticate’ or ‘exterminate’ the
Aboriginals
 This caused sickness among the population s and also caused a
loss of their culture, traditions, language and leadership as well
as the ancient Aboriginal laws.
10/06/2023

Assimilation Era (1950 to 1960) and its impact
 This era started more than 150 years after the
colonisation of Australia by Europeans.
 It succeeded the White Australia Policy and Protection by
Segregation policy both of which marginalised the Aboriginal
population, incorporated European Cultural values in Australia as
the National Identity of the nation and forced the segregation of
the Aboriginals from their homelands into reserves and missions.
 Policies made during this time was aimed to replace the
old Segregation Policies (Aimed to separate the Aboriginal
population from European population) made during
1890’s to 1950’s.
 The policy was framed with the understanding that the Aboriginal
populations were not getting exterminated, and hence they
should be given the option to ‘assimilate’ to the European culture.
 This was made on the assumption that the Aboriginal Australians
should be able to adapt to the European lifestyle, customs, laws
and traditions, just like any other non-indigenous Australians
(australianstogether.org.au., 2018).
 The policy was basically aimed to convert Aboriginals into
‘Europeans with Black Skins’
 This was a systematic racial discrimination. Genocide according to
the International Human Laws
 The segregation policies continued till 1965 in
Queensland.
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