Indigenous History stretches from arrival on the Australian continent about 50-60 000 years ago to the present. Archaeology is relied on for early history. The oral tradition, Indigenous beliefs and cultural disruption, as with many other indigenous peoples, has not ensured their history being maintained fully and/or publicly to the present day. Much of the other available information from the first European settlement on has not been from the Indigenous perspective. A shift in this process has only increased to any significant extent over recent decades.

This page provides links to information and resources for units and topics covered in this subject at a range of Australian universities. It does not attempt to include all these. Be aware some units/topics have different titles in different universities, even though content may be the same or similar. Australian information is supplied wherever possible.

They are at undergraduate level and listed in alphabetical groupings for ease of access. Some information may be useful at a higher level.

In addition, there are journals, search engines, databases, primary documents, reference material and other general information where these are seen to be relevant.

Additional material will be included as time permits.

This page requires continued development. This will be done as time permits through the addition of further topics and a strengthening of those that already exist.

If you are aware of any worthwhile information which is not included, suggestions or additions are welcome and will be given every consideration.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are warned that the following may contain images and voices of deceased persons.

Archaeology

Archaeology & Anthropology

• Aboriginal Heritage Office
  ‘A joint initiative by Lane Cove, Manly, North Sydney, Warringah and Willoughby councils, to protect Aboriginal Heritage in these areas.’ [‘There are over 1 000 sites of Aboriginal culture and heritage in these areas ?’]
• Aboriginal Heritage Information Management System
  ‘Database and recording cards for all Aboriginal objects, Aboriginal places and other Aboriginal heritage values in NSW that have been reported to the NPWS. Database index of archaeological reports, a library of these reports.’
• Ausanthrop : Anthropology in Aboriginal Australia
  ‘Dedicated to research and resources in anthropology. Special accent is on Aboriginal Australia, and more specifically on the Aborigines of the Western Desert’. Tribal Database, Kinship Tutorial in particular.
• Australia’s Oldest Human Remains
  Lake Mungo, southern New South Wales.
• Australian Stone Tools
• Dating the Colonisation of Sahul
  Pleistocene Australia-New Guinea. A ‘review of recent research’. Authors, abstract, Fee-based PDF download.
• Dharawal People of New South Wales
  Rock carving, stone structures, rock shelters.
• Dinnertime at Cuddie Springs
  Hunting and Butchering Megafauna ? ‘Report prepared for the Brewarrina Local Aboriginal Land Council December, 1996.’
• Early Human Occupation at Devil’s Lair
  Southwestern Australia 50 000 Years Ago. Authors, abstract, Fee-based PDF download.
• Revealing The Prehistoric Settlement of Australia
  By Y chromosome and mtDNA analysis.What this data implies. PDF document.
• The History of Aboriginal Australia
  Who, When, How, From Where - Evidence for the Australian Colonisation. Article on the use of mitochondrial data to clarify dates for colonisation. Links to other studies [see Specific Studies section for these].
• The Human Colonisation of Australia
  Optical Dates of 53 000 and 60 000 years bracket human arrival at Deaf Adder Gorge, Northern Territory. Authors, abstract, Fee-based PDF download.
• Using Bush Plants
  ‘Investigates traditional Aboriginal use of Australia’s native plants. Available as a Self-guided activity or Explainer-led activity.’

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History

Documentation

Documents, databases, journals, reports, texts, other written formats.

• Aboriginal History
  ‘Aboriginal History Inc is a publishing organisation based in Canberra, Australia. It publishes the annual refereed journal Aboriginal History and a monograph series.’
• Agreements, Treaties and Negotiated Settlements
  ‘Links together current information, historical detail, published material relating to agreements made between Indigenous people and others in Australia and overseas.’ Database format.

General Information

Portals, databases, further information.

• Aboriginal History [WWWVL]
  Aborigines, their time on this continent. Believed to be about 60 000 years.
• Aboriginal History [Uni. of Adelaide Lib.]
  History in South Australia, Starting Points, Subject Researches, Databases, other areas.
• Australian Centre for Indigenous History
  ANU. Research, projects, publications, links, more.
• Indigenous Law Resources
  ‘This database contains Indigenous Law Resources and includes conference papers, journal articles, and reports’. Listed in specific years from 1768 to 2002.
• Interactive Macquarie Atlas of Indigenous Australia
  MacquarieNet Online Reference Library. Fee-based, but quite cheap. Provides for layers of very specific information to be overlaid on a map of Australia. Multiple options, help.
• Mission Voices. Koorie Heritage Trust
  ‘Unique culture and history of Victorian Aboriginal [Koorie] people. Hear our Elders tell of their lives on missions.’
• Prehistory of Australia
  ‘The period between the first human habitation of the Australian continent and the first definitive sighting of Australia by Europeans in 1606, which may be taken as the beginning of the recent history of Australia.’ From Wikipedia.
• SBS - The First Australians
  ‘Chronicles the birth of contemporary Australia as never told before, from the perspective of its first people. Explores what unfolds when the oldest living culture in the world is overrun by the world’s greatest empire. Over seven episodes, depicts the true stories of individuals - both black and white - caught in an epic drama of friendship, revenge, loss and victory in Australia’s most transformative period of history.’ Watch episodes online, download podcasts.
• The Koori History Website
  ‘More than 3 500 pages. A comprehensive collection of images from koori history’. Maintained by Gary Foley. Not updated for a while.
• White Australia has a Black History
  Sources for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies in the National Library of Australia]. Article embedded links to the collection, other information.

Specific Groups

History of specific Aboriginal groups in different parts of Australia.

• Adnyamathanha History
  ‘It is difficult to generalise about Aboriginal people, their cultures and their histories. To help explain this, we have included a detailed timeline of one particular group - the Adnyamathanha people of the Flinders Ranges in southern Australia, from the time of white invasion.’ In time periods. Now in the Pandora Archive.
• Eora : Aboriginal Sydney
  Several pages, some interactive, on the Eora people. State Library of NSW.

Timelines

• Aboriginal History Timeline
  Part of an Aboriginal cultural site.
• Draft Time Line
  Legal Developments Affecting Indigenous People. Access the timeline, timeline resources.
• Timeline of Aboriginal Resistance
  Incidents of Aboriginal resistance to white settlement.
• Timeline of Events
  Charles Sturt University.
• Timeline of Indigenous Australia
  Done in Western Australia. The latter section is strongly oriented to WA.
• Timeline of Significant Moments …
  In the Indigenous Struggle in south east Australia. Covers 1925 to 1992.
• Indigenous Australia Timeline
  Australian Museum. This is the Pre-contact section. Other sections also available by using the Index browser at the bottom.

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Modern History

In addition to the information here, check for items listed in the Specific Events section below. Emphasis is on the years since 1950.

Aboriginal Tent Embassy

• The Aboriginal ‘Embassy’
  Summary, links, images.
• The Aboriginal Tent Embassy
  Information, chronology of events, actions linked to it.

General Links

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples
  eResources, NLA. ‘The Library holds a large collection relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. This guide contains selected print works only’.
• Aboriginal Links International
  These are for Australia. Links are also provided for a range of Indigenous cultures in other countries around the world.
• Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Social Justice
  ‘The Australian Human Rights Commission advocates for the rights of Indigenous Australians and works to promote respect and understanding of these rights among the broader community’. Their Social Justice Links cover a wide area.
• Collaborating for Indigenous Rights 1957-1973
  ‘The fifteen years from the late 1950s to the early 1970s was a time of unusual collaboration between black and white activists in Australia. This site tells their stories.’ Emphasises Fights for Civil Rights, Land Rights.
• Electoral Milestone/Timetable for Indigenous Australians
  Chronological, annotated listing from the Australian Electoral Commission. Current to 2008.
• Indigenous Law Resources
  Search by title, year, agency/author.
• Indigenous Settlements of Australia
  Report by ‘Dr Paul Memmott and Mark Moran [for the] Department of the Environment and Heritage, 2001.’ Extensive presentation, multiple parts.
• Legal Information
  Use this link for legal information including links to legal documentation, on the Indigenous Australia page.
• Population Distribution
  Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, 2006. Australian Bureau of Statistics. Check other tabbed sections including Past & Future Releases.
• Reconciliation
  Use this link for information concerning reconciliation, groups and understandings, on the Indigenous Australia page.
• Royal Commission on Aboriginal Deaths in Custody
  National, regional, Individual Death Reports, report on the Underlying Issues, summary.
• The Australian Freedom Rides
  US origins of the idea, the Sydney clash, Charles Perkins, Walgett, Moree, aftermath of the ride. First-hand accounts, short sound grabs.

Native Title & Land Rights

For the Mabo and Wik decisions, see the link in the Specific Events section.

• Aboriginal Australian Native Title
  ‘Keeps track of leading relevant University and Governmental information facilities.’
• Aboriginal Strike [Walk-off] at Wave Hill
  ‘The Wave Hill walk-off was well supported and made headlines all over Australia. While the initial strike was about wages and living conditions, it soon spread to the more fundamental issue about their traditional lands.’
• Central Land Council
  ‘Land use, land acquisition, mining, permits in central and south Northern Territory.’
• Frontier Online
  ‘Frontier Online will link the historical events portrayed in Frontier, the ABC-TV documentary series on Australia’s 150 year land war, to the contemporary debate on national reconciliation’.
• National Native Title Tribunal
  The Tribunal, Native Title Applications, other information, publications, more.

Stolen Generations, The

• ‘Bringing Them Home’
  The report on The Stolen Generations, completed in the 1990s.
• Bringing Them Home Education Module
  Developed by the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission and updated in 2007. One DVD copy free.
• Calculating Lives …
  The Numbers and Narratives of Forced Removals in Queensland 1859-1972. PhD thesis available online in PDF format, 3 parts.
• Content of Apologies
  State and Territory Parliaments. Listed online and as a Word version. Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission. See the national apology link in the Specific Events section.
• Stolen Generations
  Emergence of the removal policy, policy in practice, social impact, historical debates, public awareness and recognition, Australian Government apology, legal status, compensation, films, books, notable people, comparisons to similar countries, references, links. From Wikipedia.
• Stolen Generations Alliance
  Background, education kit, media, implementing Bringing Them Home, speeches, links, media.
• The History of The Separation Of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children From Their Families
  ‘This timeline details the history of forcible removal of Indigenous children from their families. Information is primarily taken from the findings of the National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from Their Families, and from a wide range of other sources’. Done in specific year groupings.
• The Stolen Generations
  Article by Robert Manne.

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Specific Events

1967 Referendum

• 1967 Referendum
  ‘The National Film and Sound Archive is pleased to present a selection of material relating to the landmark referendum of 1967.’
• Australian Referendum, 1967 [Aboriginals]
  Background, campaign, legacy, changes to the text of the constitution, results, references, links. From Wikipedia.
• Background Paper
  The Origin of Commonwealth Involvement in Indigenous Affairs and the 1967 Referendum. Australian Parliamentary Library.
• Collaborating for Indigenous Rights
  National Museum of Australia. About the 1967 Referendum. Check the page on Earlier attempts to change the Constitution.
• Fact sheet 150, The 1967 Referendum
  National Archives. Information, further sources, links to records particularly from governments sources. Check Constitutional Alteration [Aboriginals] Act 1967. Use the link in the green box at the bottom for an online, digital copy of the document.

Mabo

• Beginner’s Guide to Land Rights
  NIT Fact Sheet. One fact sheet, from the National Indigenous Times, about this topic.
• Conceptualising Native Title
  PDF article, Sydney Law Review.
• High Court Decision on Mabo
  
• Mabo : Ten Years On
  Chronology, what has happened.
• Mabo : Ten Years On [2]
  Another document looking at this.
• Native Title
  National Overview, prepared by AIATSIS. Covers applications stemming from the Mabo and Wik decisions, research projects, resources, publications, events, more.
• Native Title - A Simple Guide
  Delves into the Mabo legal case, issues it raises for indigenous people and other Australians.
• The Australian History of Henry Reynolds
  Article about the suggested impact of Henry Reynolds on court decisions relating to the Mabo Judgement of 1992.
• The Mabo Judgement and Its Implication

Massacres

A number occurred from settlement through to the 1930s. Links to specific massacres and general listings are provided.

• Coniston Station Massacre
  Last known massacre of Aboriginal people in 1928. Details, what followed - the Board of Inquiry, effects on local groups, its significance. Links, related information. From Wikipedia.
• Convincing Ground
  Extract from a report of a massacre in Victoria.
• Fighting Hills Massacre, 1840
  Massacre occuring north of Coleraine.
• Gippsland Massacres
  Listing with details, embedded links. From Wikipedia.
• List of Massacres of Indigenous Australians
  Lists massacres in time periods, short descriptions, links. From Wikipedia.
• Myall Creek Massacre
  The massacre, the trials that followed, consequences. ‘The first time that white people had been punished under British law for crimes against Aboriginal people.’ From Wikipedia.
• Myall Creek, Our Shared History
  ‘We are a group of volunteers, indigenous and non-indigenous, committed to seeing the Myall Creek massacre remembered both for the tragedy that it was and for the turning point it marked in the long road of reconciliation.’ Resources, information.

National Government Apology

The apology issued on behalf of the Federal Government on 13 February 2008.

• Apology to the Stolen Generations
  ‘The 42nd Parliament of Australia opened on February 13, 2008, with a Welcome to Country speech by The Prime Minister of Australia, the Honourable Kevin Rudd, MP. Mr Rudd then moved a motion in the Federal Parliament offering an apology to Australia’s Indigenous people.’ Links to background, media releases, speeches, broadcasts.
• Rudd Delivers Apology
  Online video in several formats. Australian Broadcasting Commission.

Wik Decision

• An Overview Of The Wik Decision
  Article, University of New South Wales Law Journal.
• Land and Sea Rights
  ‘The Wik case concerned land which is, or has been, subject to pastoral leases.’ Northern Land Council.
• Wik - What do we Do Now ?
  ‘What Australia does about Wik and how it does it will be an important mark of our maturity as a nation. In this presentation I want to canvass some possible responses to the decision as options for consideration by all the stakeholders.’ Article by Justice French.

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