The Massacre of Indigenous Australians
First contact between Aboriginal Australians with British colonisers in 1788 quickly escalated into frontier conflict that lasted for over 140 years.
This painting by Vincent Serico shows the distribution of arsenic-laced flour at the Kilcoy massacre (Image via Qld Museum: leichhardt.qm.qld.gov.au)
Professor Ann McGrath, director of the Australian Centre for Indigenous History, writes:
“There was a lot of bloodshed as the colony spread, as they were dividing up land for agriculture,”
“They (colonialists) raped the women ... sexual violence led to a lot of conflict.
It wasn’t long before “frontier violence” became widespread, with Aborigines killed in massacres, including women and children, some of who were driven off cliffs. Other tactics included disease, starvation and the poisoning of food rations.
The word “dispersal” was soon being used as a euphemism to describe the killing of Aboriginal people.
Today you will investigate some of the darkest days in the history of Australia
“There was a lot of bloodshed as the colony spread, as they were dividing up land for agriculture,”
“They (colonialists) raped the women ... sexual violence led to a lot of conflict.
It wasn’t long before “frontier violence” became widespread, with Aborigines killed in massacres, including women and children, some of who were driven off cliffs. Other tactics included disease, starvation and the poisoning of food rations.
The word “dispersal” was soon being used as a euphemism to describe the killing of Aboriginal people.
Today you will investigate some of the darkest days in the history of Australia
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