A Shameful Australian Past but a Hopeful Future

Since the first British fleets reached the shores of Australia in 1788 and began colonising the land and its inhabitants, Aboriginal people have been struggling to be treated as equals within Australian society. It has been a long battle, one that Aboriginal people did not ask for, nor bring upon themselves. As the traditional owners of this great land we call Australia, the mistreatment and inequalities faced by them needs to be acknowledged and rectified by all Australians if there is any hope of moving forward together as one.

Whilst many non-Aboriginal Australians do not harbour racist or prejudice views, the fact remains that Aboriginal people have a right to have their history told accurately and truthfully and to be recognised and treated not only as equals in Australian society, but as the traditional inhabitants of the land. The past two centuries have seen Aboriginal people violently and traumatically removed from their homes and forced into a society so vastly different from their own that it has left both a saddening and horrifying stain on Australia’s history books. Up until 1970, many Aboriginal children were forced to live within state institutions with some being fostered to non-Aboriginal families. In these new “homes” young children were often forced to work on farms and as domestic aids with many being exposed to physical and sexual abuse.

This abuse and mistreatment of a traditionally unique and spiritual people continues today, often hidden from sight because the injustices lay in the minds and actions of people who simply do not understand the complexities of the after-effects of colonisation. Most people have heard the terms “Stolen Generations”, “missions” and “settlements” but many people do not understand their true meaning for Aboriginal people and the effects they have had on their families and their lives, past and present.

Fortunately, there are numerous agencies around the country that are dedicated to bringing about positive social change for Aboriginal people in Australia. Landmark cases such as the 1992 victory of Eddie Mabo in the Australian High Court in gaining a native title right to traditional Aboriginal lands has shown a step towards real change and equality for Aboriginal people and recognition of their struggles. But it is still not enough. Aboriginal people deserve cultural recognition and special rights to certain aspects of the land, as well as compensation for the injustices they have faced for many years.