For many travellers to Australia, one of the highlights of their visit is experiencing the unique culture of the indigenous Aborigine. This is usually experienced in the form of an organised show or corroberee.  So that you are better prepared for this type of encounter, we've here's a bit of a background on the Australian Aborigine, their history and culture.

The Aborigines are thought to have travelled across the sea from Indonesia over a land-bridge to Australia, possibly as long as 70,000 years ago. They adapted to the harsh environment and climate very quickly and the whole continent was colonised within a few thousand years. They're historically been a nomadic people, due to necessity created by the conditions and changing seasons. Traditionally "Hunters and Gatherers", the men hunted native wildlife such as kangaroo, snakes and emus, while the women caught smaller animals and picked fruits, honey and seeds. 

Their sophisticated usage of the land, their view of life and their philosophical-religious beliefs have stood the test of time. There are many reasons why the Aborigines live so close to nature. The most important reason may be that the Aborigine sees nature as a process of spiritual power from their forefathers. It is part of their culture not to interfere by sowing or planting. Their forefathers walked over the same paths and ground as the Aborigines today. This helps to explain the deep connections on their ground and territory.

The Aborigines say it had been the "Creation Ancestors" (animal and human) who created the landscape and the first people. When these creation ancestors disappeared, they left their spirits in the mountains and rocks. Aboriginal law was made by the Creation Ancestors. They turned animals or plants, which did not obey that law, into stones. The hills and mountains were made in that way. Some plants and animals were rewarded for obeying the laws and were made into people. Specific traditions, rituals, laws and art link the people of each tribe to the land they occupy. All tribes have places to which their spirits return when they die. The Aborigines believe that to destroy or damage a sacred site threatens not only the living but also the spiritual inhabitants of the land.

European settlement of Australia had dramatic and negative results on the Aboriginal population.  By the time the Europeans arrived in the 18th century, there were about 750,000 aborigines living here. Today, the Aboriginal population is around 200,000. When the first settlers arrived they saw no system of government, no commerce or permanent settlements and no evidence of landownership, and so declared Australia to be "terra nullius" - this meant that the land belonged to no one, which enabled the settlers to take land from the Aborigines. Finally, in 1993, it was recognised that the native title had existed before the arrival of the British and the notion of terra nullius was overthrown. Many Aborigines were driven away from their land by force and a large number got numerous diseases. The balance between nature and the people was broken down, because many bought alcohol and drugs from the settlers. Sheep and cattle destroyed waterholes and many species of native wildlife disappeared. Whole tribes were massacred when the Aborigines fought back. The survivors were put into reservations and church missions. Some Europeans saw the Aborigines as wild animals and hunting them was a "sport". Full-blood Aborigines in Tasmania were therefore wiped out. There were only 61,000 left in the early thirties of the 20th century.

By the early 1900s, the British wanted to segregate and "protect" the Aboriginal people. Employment and property rights were restricted and the state removed children from mothers if the father was non-Aboriginal. The positive side was that full-blood Aborigines living in reservations were protected in some way. The assimilation policy of the 1960s completely controlled the peoples' life. They decided where the Aborigines could live and whom they could marry. The Aborigines were forced to adapt the European culture. The Aborigines became better educated and more organised after World War Two. Citizenship was bestowed in 1967, and the assimilation policy was finally replaced by policy of self-determination in 1972.

Large parts of Australia are "outback" desert regions and many Aborigines still live there today, although the majority now live in the cities and small towns. Aboriginal culture was under threat, in danger of disappearing altogether, but recent laws have made it possible for them to regain their land. Many of the modern problems disappear when they return to their land and live there in their traditional way of life. They live like as before in these remote communities, collecting berries and seeds, and hunting. The children learn more about their culture and language as well as English and mathematics. They are proud of their culture and their lifestyle, and deserve our full respect.

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