Table of Contents
Who were the first original inhabitants of Australia?
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are the first peoples of Australia, meaning they were here for thousands of years prior to colonisation.
When did genocide start in Australia?
Starting in 1794, mass killings were first carried out by British soldiers, then by police and settlers – often acting together – and later by native police, working under the command of white officers, in militia-style forces supported by colonial governments.
What is the story behind the bunyip?
Bunyip. According to legend, a man-eating monster called the bunyip once lived in the rivers, lakes and swamps of Australia. Its howl carried through the night air, making people afraid to enter the water. At night, the bunyip prowled the land, hunting for women and children to eat.
What did colonists do to aboriginals in Australia?
The most immediate consequence of colonisation was a wave of epidemic diseases including smallpox, measles and influenza, which spread ahead of the frontier and annihilated many First Nations communities.
What was the worst Aboriginal massacre?
They committed a series of atrocities in the area, but the Waterloo Creek massacre was the most savage. Five white men were killed, but between 120 and 300 Aboriginal people of the Kamilaroi nation were shot by Major Nunn, making it the maybe the largest single massacre in Australia.
What does bunyip look like?
The amphibious animal was variously described as having a round head, an elongated neck, and a body resembling that of an ox, hippopotamus, or manatee; some accounts gave it a human figure. The bunyip purportedly made booming or roaring noises and was given to devouring human prey, especially women and children.
What animal is a yowie?
“Yō-wī” is a spirit that roams over the earth at night. Some modern writers suggested that it arose through Aboriginal legends of the “Yahoo”. Robert Holden recounts several stories that support this from the nineteenth century, including this European account from 1842: The natives of Australia believe in …
How does a bunyip look like?
What unusual animals did the first settlers in Australia find?
The First Settlers in Australia – What They Found. Zygomaturus, another unusual animal, often called the marsupial rhinoceros, that weighed 0.5 tonne, was about 2 m long, was about 1 m high at the shoulder, about the height of a bullock. It had the body shape of a Diprotodon, though it had a different head.
Why did Aboriginals attack settlers?
Aboriginal attacks on settlers often took place after previous unreported killings of smaller groups or individuals, or as the result of escalating tensions over land, water and resources. Settler reprisals were heavily disproportionate and grew worse over time.
What do Australians really think about Aboriginal history?
Almost 70% of Australians accept that Aboriginal people were subject to mass killings, incarceration and forced removal from land, and their movement was restricted.
How did the First Fleet come to Australia?
On 13th May 1787, the First Fleet consisting of 11 ships and 1300 people left England to found a penal colony in far away Australia. Upon landing eight months later on the 18th – 20th January 1788, the Naval officers, their families and the convicts set about establishing the European settlement of Australia.