Urban Studies Essay: Analysis of Australian Genocide and History

This essay, written for Urban Studies, delves into the contentious topic of Australian genocide, primarily focusing on the historical context of Tasmania and the impact of British colonization. It examines the debates surrounding the treatment of indigenous populations, particularly the Tasmanian Aboriginals, and considers whether the actions constitute genocide. The essay references the work of historians like Henry Reynolds and explores the perspectives of genocide scholars, highlighting the conflict between settlers and indigenous communities, the Black Wars, and the reduction in Aboriginal populations. It also addresses the complexities of historical interpretation and the policies of the colonial government, providing a critical analysis of the events and their lasting consequences. The essay draws on various sources to present a comprehensive overview of the subject, aiming to confront the 'ghost of genocide' and its impact on Australian history.

Running head: URBAN STUDIES
URBAN STUDIES
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Authors note:

1URBAN STUDIES
The thesis of this essay mainly debates about Australia’s genocide and gives an insight
about it. It basically talks about the Tasmanian history and the question that the writer proposes
through this is whether the treatment that happened with Tasmanian history all through the
British colonization that has constituted genocide (Taylor, 2013). This book shows the murdering
stream of the world. The British colonization almost destroyed all the indigenous organization
and it widely shows the conflict between them. Henry Reynolds have acknowledged this and
brought out the topic to the people. However there are debates that whether the genocide was
done intentionally, though many genocide scholars believe that this genocide was a condign
judgment.
The writer in his book gives a fact which seeks to again write about their nation’s
foundation. This war took place on the Australian soil. British declared this war for the first time.
The first Tasmanian were extremely driven and committed about their ancestral land that none of
the obstacles could have stopped their determination. The thesis of Tasmanian genocide has been
presented as the history of wars. The genocide is termed as a political notion by misinterpreting
the understanding of history. Reynolds has written about this forgotten war with a
straightforward remark. Reynolds spoke about the injustice that happened with Aboriginal tribes
in Tasmania and however the attitude in Tasmania remained unaffected. Reynolds remarks that
there are about 5000 memorials all over Australia in order to remember soldiers who fought in
this war (Pihama, 2014). Another key point is that Reynolds mentions that around 5000 settler
got killed on this war. Even though all of them were not soldiers like the indigenous warriors
who fought as an alternative to guerilla strategy and horror, who attacked several houses and
killed families in respect to their own benefits . The Black Wars which took place in Tasmania
has an agenda, they were fighting for Australia. In 1835, the population of Aboriginals has vastly

2URBAN STUDIES
reduced due to this war (Lawson, 2014). Aborigines also fought back gradually. Reynolds also
mentions that the historical explanation actually differs from the actual reasoning in order to
determinate the incidence of genocide. Genocides are an outcome which is based on the
assessment of those times. In the further investigation the policy of the colonial government has
been shown, that how it was a necessity to examine the steps that has been taken further. The
ghost of genocide should be confronted and Reynolds did a just in his book (Docker, 2015).

3URBAN STUDIES
References
Docker, J. (2015). A plethora of intentions: genocide, settler colonialism and historical
consciousness in Australia and Britain. The International Journal of Human Rights, 19(1),
74-89. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13642987.2014.987952
Lawson, T. (2014). The last man: A British genocide in Tasmania. IB Tauris.
https://books.google.co.in/books?
hl=en&lr=&id=eJykAgAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=Lawson,+T.+(2014).
+The+last+man:+A+British+genocide+in+Tasmania.+IB+Tauris.&ots=uKAyO-
fOhY&sig=N48xNCS5peMPVOvewXw4wd77EyU&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=fals
e
Pihama, L., Reynolds, P., Smith, C., Reid, J., Smith, L. T., & Nana, R. T. (2014). Positioning
historical trauma theory within Aotearoa New Zealand. AlterNative: An International
Journal of Indigenous Peoples, 10(3), 248-262.
http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/117718011401000304
Taylor, R. (2013). Genocide, Extinction and Aboriginal Self‐determination in Tasmanian
Historiography. History Compass, 11(6), 405-418.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/hic3.12062/full