1788-1850 Aboriginal Resistance

18Between the years 1788-1850 Australia was re-discovered, colonized and faced many fights between the natives of Australia and the British. Disease, communication barriers, land rights, food supply, cultural clashes and wars between the British and the natives played a major role in the resistance between the naives and the British for the first 60 years of colonization(1). The English sent over 162,000 convicts to Australia in 806 ships. The first eleven of these ships are today known as the First Fleet and contained the convicts and marines that are now acknowledged as the Founders of Australia. The first fleets’ arrival on Australian shores consisted of 11 ships, 717 convicts, women and children, livestock, rum, pork supplies and equipment.(2). Its arrival brought an end to the occupation of the land by Aboriginal people as they had traditionally lived. The diaries and journals of the First Fleet provide descriptions of the locals as "native", "primitive", "barbaric" and even "stupid". There were many violent acts of resistance, as Aboriginal people took a stand against the occupation of their land and the destruction of their social, religious, legal and communal systems. Some Aboriginal people soon become afraid of entering Sydney Town because of the threat of gunshot wounds and death. There had been many wounded and killed and other encounters known of in the bush because Aborigines were present wherever farmers went and they always resisted the taking over of their land.
The Aboriginals customs and life style were being broken down as the natural resources that the natives relied on were being diminished by the Europeans. Cutting down of trees, fishing holes being taken over and the hunt for Kangaroos for meat were all needed by the natives to survive. Without these resources the many Aboriginals took up Governor Phillips offer and moved into town with the whites, sleeping and eating in the settlers’ houses.(3)
Aboriginal worriers Bennelong and Coleby

Bibliography: 1) Richard Broom, A History Since 1788 (Crows Nest: Allen & unwin,2010 2) Henry Reynolds, Aboriginal Resistance To The European Invasion Of Australia (UNSW Press, 2006) 3) Stuart Macintyre, A Concise History Of Australia (Cambridge 2009) 4) John Connor, The Australian frontier wars 1788-1838 (UNSW Press 2002) 5) Encyclopedia of violence peace & conflict, Volume 2 (academic press) (1) Richard Broom, A History Since 1788 (Crows Nest: Allen & unwin,2010),15-16. (2) http://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/discover_collections/history_nation/terra_australis/firstfleet.html (3) Stuart Macintyre, A Concise History Of Australia (Cambridge 2009) 61 (4) Carlton, Vic.; Melbourne University Press. (2007) , 266-274. (5) Rachel Perkins, Marcia Langton, First Australians (The Miegunyah Press, 2010), 40. (8) By Gregory D. Woods, A history of criminal law in New South Wales: the colonial period (Federation Press, 2002) 85-90 (9) Stephen Webb, Palaeopathology of aboriginal Australians (Cambridge University Press, 1995) 19-21