University Essay: Australian Aboriginals and the Historical Discourses

This essay provides a comprehensive analysis of the historical discourses surrounding Australian Aboriginals, examining the impact of colonialism, racism, and discrimination on their lives and culture. The essay delves into the historical treatment of Aboriginals, highlighting the violence, suppression, and isolation they faced due to the actions of white settlers. It explores the role of government policies, religious underpinnings, and the denial of citizen rights in fostering this isolation. Furthermore, it discusses the evolution of historical analysis, from the social stereotypes of the frontier wars to contemporary efforts to recognize and incorporate Aboriginal culture. The essay highlights initiatives like the Bunjilaka Melbourne Museum and the role of sports in shaping public perception. It also emphasizes the importance of indigenous knowledge in environmental sustainability and the ongoing struggle for cultural identity and inclusion in mainstream society. Finally, the essay concludes by asserting the need for a hybrid culture that embraces both the past and the present, utilizing history as a tool for development and stability within Australian society.

Running head: AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINALS AND THE HISTORICAL DISCOURSES
AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINALS AND THE HISTORICAL DISCOURSES
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2AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINALS AND THE HISTORICAL DISCOURSES
The mainstream response about the aboriginals of Australia is not well enough and
associated with violence and scepticism. The long drawn violence and clashes between the
Australian “whites” and the natives has been started since the advent of colonialism. In fact,
the punitive impositions and suppression by the White settlers led the life of the aboriginals
full of deprivation and misery1. In context of this, the purpose of this discussion is to get a
clear understanding of the position of the native inhabitants of Australia in the historical
discourses of the country. In course of this discussion, the understanding will put focus on the
aloofness and isolation of the indigenous community fostered by the mainstream society of
Australia and its impact on the history of the country.
The native Australians and the Torres Strait Islanders have a series of confronting
experience with the government since the time of colonisation. Due to lack of government
intervention and policies regarding incorporation of the natives into the fold of mainstream
society made a line of demarcation between the whites and the natives. In response to that it
can also be argued that the country shared a history of racism and discrimination with sheer
religious underpinnings. Absence of citizen rights further became an impetus for the
isolation. As a result of that the indigenous people of Australia also registered a fight against
the government and intensify the relationship between the two. However, in the present times
the relevance of turning back the Australian aboriginals into mainstream society is growing at
a pace because of a series of protest and benevolence. In returns the historical analysis also
starts to shift from its age old perceptions and is going to interpret the role of Australian
aboriginals in a new way.
While going through a retrospective conception about the natives of Australia, the
historical analysis in its primitive phase became stigmatised by the social stereotypes. During
1 Nair, Anusree R. "Penning the Protest: Petitions by the Aborigines of Australia." postcolonial literatures 17
(2017): 164.

3AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINALS AND THE HISTORICAL DISCOURSES
the time of the infamous frontier wars between the white settlers and the aboriginals most of
the English newspapers were projected the aboriginals as uncivilised and possible malice to
the society. In fact, issues like religious conversion were also considered to be a useful tool
for the white government to impose domination on the natives. Most of the newspapers at
that time articulated the indigenous religion as evil, superstitious and punitive. It was also
depicted in the writings of that time where the natives were identified as hideous and
detrimental to civilisation2. Besides this, use of outdated terminologies was fashioned by the
colonisers to establish their culture over the existing one. Terminologies like estranged,
primitive and cannibals were the basic stereotypes that was manifested by the white people
very deliberately3.
On a contrary, the recent researches share a plethora of initiatives to reinvigorate the so
called primitive practise of the native inhabitants. In that context, the name of the Bunjilaka
Melbourne Museum is quite popular. The museum authority is trying to reshape the history
of Australia by understanding the practice and custom of the people of the past. In fact, the
artefacts of the past are effectively preserved in the Bujilaka Museum and open for the
visitors4. In addition to this, the artworks of the aboriginals and Torres Strait islanders have
been played a significant role in reshaping the concept of Australian history. It is the primary
objective of the museum to inculcate the culture of the first people of Australia and shared
their story globally as well as inside the country. Furthermore, the museum arranges a
number of new events based on the history, culture and versatility of the Australian native
2 Habibis, Daphne, Penny Taylor, Maggie Walter, and Catriona Elder. "Repositioning the racial gaze: Aboriginal
perspectives on race, race relations and governance." Social Inclusion 4, no. 1 (2016).
3 The Sydney gazette, and New South Wales advertiser. 1804. "SHIP NEWS", , 1804.
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/626092?searchTerm=Australian%20natives
&searchLimits=sortby=dateAsc.
4 "First Peoples Tells The Story Of Aboriginal Victoria From The Time Of Creation To Today". 2018.
Museumsvictoria.Com.Au. https://museumsvictoria.com.au/bunjilaka/whats-on/first-peoples/.

4AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINALS AND THE HISTORICAL DISCOURSES
community in order to build up a public response for their inclusion in the mainstream
society.
Moreover, this growing trend in changing the perspective towards the Australian
aboriginals through the medium of history is further facilitated by discovering the bright side
of the primitive culture and tradition. In response to this, creating an indigenous identity has
played a pivotal role on the backdrop of the process of transcending the spectrum of history.
Recent researches have showed that there are only 22 percent of Australian population belong
to European origin according to the census report of 20015. Furthermore, modern education
enlightens the aboriginals of Australia in a huge manner in compare to the early decades.
These facts symbolize a growing trend of the native Australians to include in the mainstream
society which resembles the notion of pan-Indigeneity. It is also reflected in the history of
sports in Australia6.
Sports specifically football in Australia has immense popularity as well as comprises a
cultural power. It cannot be overestimate by advocating that discrimination was prevailed in
the Australian Rule Football also. The case of 1990s in Australian Football League where the
indigenous footballers protested against the racial abuses of the opponents and protestors or
in the 1995 event where the cry for changing the racial act of Australian Football League
became a national issue perfectly projected a clear understanding of the historical perspective
of racial practice in Australia7. These protests and voice against secluding the aboriginals
from the mainstream society helped a lot in transforming the popular psyche about the native
5 Paradies, Yin. "Beyond black and white: Essentialism, hybridity and indigeneity." In Handbook of Indigenous
Peoples' Rights, pp. 44-54. Routledge, 2016.
6 Daly, Sathyabhama. "The Spectre of History and Constitutional Recognition of Indigenous
Australians." eTropic: electronic journal of studies in the tropics 15, no. 1 (2016).
7 Gorman, Sean, Barry Judd, Keir Reeves, Gary Osmond, Matthew Klugman, and Gavan McCarthy. "Aboriginal
rules: The black history of Australian football." The International Journal of the History of Sport 32, no. 16
(2015): 1947-1962.

5AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINALS AND THE HISTORICAL DISCOURSES
Australians. In fact, it is so imperative to acknowledge the fact that football was used as a
tool to reshape the society of Australia.
Moreover, the incorporation of the aboriginals in Australian society was supplemented by
historical research and discussion. Australia has possessed a diverse ecology and most of its
tourism industry is relied upon natural tourism. However, in current scenario the country is
dealing with a number of environmental issues which have to be fixed. In response to this, the
historical intervention proves the positive role of indigenous culture in sustaining
environment. Empirical evidences reflect that the native culture of Australia is full of eco-
friendly practice. In other words, the indigenous knowledge system about ecology is very
much relevant in the present situation8. It requires more researches and historical
understanding which in future help to facilitate sustainability.
In a conclusion it can be asserted that the traditional prevalence of racism and
discrimination has lost its permanence and rationality in course of time. The current situation
of the country requires a hybrid culture where present meets the past. In order to do this,
history can be considered to be an important tool. Therefore, the change in the perspective of
history becomes beneficial for the development and stability of Australian society.
8 Ens, Emilie J., Petina Pert, Philip A. Clarke, Marita Budden, Lilian Clubb, Bruce Doran, Cheryl Douras et al.
"Indigenous biocultural knowledge in ecosystem science and management: review and insight from
Australia." Biological Conservation 181 (2015): 133-149.

6AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINALS AND THE HISTORICAL DISCOURSES
Reference
"First Peoples Tells The Story Of Aboriginal Victoria From The Time Of Creation To
Today". 2018. Museumsvictoria.Com.Au. https://museumsvictoria.com.au/bunjilaka/whats-
on/first-peoples/.
Daly, Sathyabhama. "The Spectre of History and Constitutional Recognition of Indigenous
Australians." eTropic: electronic journal of studies in the tropics 15, no. 1 (2016).
Ens, Emilie J., Petina Pert, Philip A. Clarke, Marita Budden, Lilian Clubb, Bruce Doran,
Cheryl Douras et al. "Indigenous biocultural knowledge in ecosystem science and
management: review and insight from Australia." Biological Conservation 181 (2015): 133-
149.
Gorman, Sean, Barry Judd, Keir Reeves, Gary Osmond, Matthew Klugman, and Gavan
McCarthy. "Aboriginal rules: The black history of Australian football." The International
Journal of the History of Sport 32, no. 16 (2015): 1947-1962.
Habibis, Daphne, Penny Taylor, Maggie Walter, and Catriona Elder. "Repositioning the
racial gaze: Aboriginal perspectives on race, race relations and governance." Social
Inclusion 4, no. 1 (2016).
Nair, Anusree R. "Penning the Protest: Petitions by the Aborigines of Australia." postcolonial
literatures 17 (2017): 164.
Paradies, Yin. "Beyond black and white: Essentialism, hybridity and indigeneity."
In Handbook of Indigenous Peoples' Rights, pp. 44-54. Routledge, 2016.

7AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINALS AND THE HISTORICAL DISCOURSES
The Sydney gazette, and New South Wales advertiser. 1804. "SHIP NEWS", , 1804.
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/626092?searchTerm=Australian%20natives
&searchLimits=sortby=dateAsc.