Australian Government Policy

3735 Words8 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Assimilation of indigenous Australians

Australian Government Policy

The first English settlement in Australia was established in 1788. Before this the Aborigines lived in the land in harmony. However, after the English arrived, the two different cultures were in close contact and had to determine how to coexist. White Europeans did not respect the Aborigines’ right to the land and it’s resources. With brutal force, they took control of the land and claimed it as their own. Australians then developed their own policies on how to deal with the Aborigines, which, as you can expect, bettered their own way of life. There are three historical phases of Australian governmental policies: dispossession, segregation, and assimilation. There are also some recent policies that have acknowledged Aboriginal rights and have increased their autonomy and welfare. This paper will discuss these phases, their effects on the Aborigines and Australia, and the future of Australian race relations.

Introduction

Investigation into the treatment of and government policies enacted against the Aborigines is an important issue because not many know about the history of these people. Just recently, social scientists have started looking into this area. Furthermore, many people believe that the concept of racial inequality has all but disappeared in the world. By examining the case of the Aborigines, it can show what work still needs to be done in order for there to be true equality for indigenous peoples.

Australia was declared a British colony in 1770 (Hollinsworth, 1996). The first colony was established in 1788. From the very beginning, the Aborigines were treated as less human through racist attitudes and government policies. This paper will discuss the different policy periods and ...

... middle of paper ...

...nada, and New Zealand. New York: Oxford

University Press.

Patton, P. 1996. Sovereignty, law, and difference in Australia: After the Mabo case.

Alternatives 21(2): 149-170.

Reece, B. 1996. "Inventing Aborigines." Terrible hard biscuits. Chapman, V. and Read, P.,

Eds. Australia: Allen & Unwin Pty Ltd.

Reynolds, H. 1999. "New frontiers: Australia." Havemann, P., Ed. Indigenous peoples’ rights in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. New York: Oxford University Press.

Robinson, S. 1996. "The Aboriginal embassy: an account of the protests." Terrible hard

biscuits. Chapman, V. and Read, P., Eds. Australia: Allen & Unwin Pty Ltd.

Webber, J. 2000. "Beyond regret: Mabo’s implications for Australian constitutionalism."

Yu, P. 1996. Aboriginal issues in perspective: Native title rights and self-determination.

Community Development Journal 31(2): 164-173.

Show More
Related

  • The National Apology of 2008

    1244 Words  | 3 Pages

    The National Apology of 2008 is the latest addition to the key aspects of Australia’s reconciliation towards the Indigenous owners of our land. A part of this movement towards reconciliation is the recognition of Indigenous Australians and Torres Strait Islanders rights to their land. Upon arrival in Australia, Australia was deemed by the British as terra nullius, land belonging to no one. This subsequently meant that Indigenous Australians and Torres Strait Islanders were never recognised as the traditional owners. Eddie Mabo has made a highly significant contribution to the rights and freedoms of Indigenous Australians as he was the forefather of a long-lasting court case in 1982 fighting for the land rights of the Torres Strait Islanders. Eddie Mabo’s introduction of the Native Title Act has provided Indigenous Australians with the opportunity to state claim to their land, legally recognising the Indigenous and the Torres Strait Islanders as the traditional owners.

    Read More

  • Which Policy Had the Largest Impact on the Indigenous Australians

    1011 Words  | 3 Pages

    There have been many unanswered questions in Australia about Aboriginal history. One of these is which government policy towards indigenous people has had the largest impact on Indigenous Australians? Through research the Assimilation Policy had the largest impact upon Indigenous Australians and the three supporting arguments to prove this are the Aborigines losing their rights to freedom, Aboriginal children being removed from their families, and finally the loss of aboriginality.

    Read More

  • Educational Policies and Aboriginal Australian History

    921 Words  | 2 Pages

    Key events in Aboriginal Australian history stem from the time Australia was first discovered in 1788. For instance, when Federation came into existence in 1901, there was a prevailing belief held by non Aboriginal Australians that the Aborigines were a dying race (Nichol, 2005:259) which resulted in the Indigenous people being excluded from the constitution except for two mentions – Section 127 excluded Aborigines from the census and Section 51, part 26, which gave power over Aborigines to the States rather than to the Federal Government. Aboriginal people were officially excluded from the vote, public service, the Armed Forces and pensions. The White Australia mentality/policy Australia as “White” and unfortunately this policy was not abolished until 1972. REFERENCE

    Read More

  • The Effectiveness of the Law in Achieving Justice for Indigenous People

    3098 Words  | 7 Pages

    Indigenous People. In evaluating the Legal System’s response to Indigenous People and it’s achieving of justice, an outline of the history of Indigenous Australians - before and during settlement - as well as their status in Australian society today must be made. The dispossession of their land and culture has deprived Indigenous People of economic revenue that the land would have provided if not colonised, as well as their ... ... middle of paper ... ...

    Read More

  • Canada’s Shame: The Oppression of Aboriginal Women in the Indian Act

    1597 Words  | 4 Pages

    In this proposal our team seeks to explore the injustices within the Indian Act. To achieve this our proposed research will examine the target population being the aboriginal woman. The paper will further explore the oppressions faced by the aboriginal women within the Indian Act. In conclusion, this proposal will sum up the negative impact that the Indian Act had on aboriginal women and how it continues to oppress this population within the Canadian National discourse.

    Read More

  • New England Colonies Essay

    1822 Words  | 4 Pages

    The plantation industry was the most important economical factor in the Southern colonies because they used indentured servants to help with there products. Indentured servants were people who agreed to work without pay for a certain amount of time in exchange for passage to America. Plantations relied on indentured servants to help with the agriculture. The good farmland allowed the servants to produce cattle, fish, grain, indigo, iron, rum, lumber, rice, and tobacco on the plantations. Tobacco was the leading export which was a wonderful cash crop, and it’s still a major industry

    Read More

  • Discrimination against Aboriginal Women in Canada

    683 Words  | 2 Pages

    Despite the decreasing inequalities between men and women in both private and public spheres, aboriginal women continue to be oppressed and discriminated against in both. Aboriginal people in Canada are the indigenous group of people that were residing in Canada prior to the European colonization. The term First Nations, Indian and indigenous are used interchangeably when referring to aboriginal people. Prior to the colonization, aboriginal communities used to be matrilineal and the power between men and women were equally balanced. When the European came in contact with the aboriginal, there came a shift in gender role and power control leading towards discrimination against the women. As a consequence of the colonization, the aboriginal women are a dominant group that are constantly subordinated and ignored by the government system of Canada. Thus today, aboriginal women experiences double jeopardy as they belong to more than one disadvantaged group i.e. being women and belonging to aboriginal group. In contemporary world, there are not much of a difference between Aboriginal people and the other minority groups as they face the similar challenges such as gender discrimination, victimization, and experiences injustice towards them. Although aboriginal people are not considered as visible minorities, this population continues to struggle for their existence like any other visible minorities group. Although both aboriginal men and women are being discriminated in our society, the women tends to experience more discrimination in public and private sphere and are constantly the targeted for violence, abuse and are victimized. In addition, many of the problems and violence faced by aborigin...

    Read More

  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders

    1575 Words  | 4 Pages

    In 1788 when the European settlers “colonised” Australia, the Australian land was known as “terra nullius” which means “land belonging to no-one”. This decision set the stage for the problems and disadvantages faced by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people for 216 years. The protection policy was meant to disperse tribes and force Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people off their traditional land so the “white Australian’s” could have more control. The protection policy enforced by the British colonies drove the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander onto reserves.

    Read More

  • 8th Fire: Indigenous in the City Analysis: One Step Forward, One Step Back

    1576 Words  | 4 Pages

    Fleras, Augie. “Aboriginal Peoples in Canada: Repairing the Relationship.” Chapter 7 of Unequal Relations: An Introduction to Race, Ethnic and Aboriginal Dynamics in Canada. 6th ed. Toronto: Pearson, 2010. 162-210. Print.

    Read More

  • Restorative Justice: Aboriginal Peoples and the Justice System

    1331 Words  | 3 Pages

    Barsh, R. 2005. Aboriginal peoples and the justice system: Report of the national round table on Aboriginal justice issues (Book Review). Great Plains Research, 359-362.

    Read More

  • Indigenous Australian Land Rights Essay

    1722 Words  | 4 Pages

    Indigenous Australian land rights have sparked controversy between Non Indigenous and Indigenous Australians throughout history. The struggle to determine who the rightful owners of the land are is still largely controversial throughout Australia today. Indigenous Australian land rights however, go deeper than simply owning the land as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders have established an innate spiritual connection making them one with the land. The emphasis of this essay is to determine how Indigenous Australian land rights have impacted Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, highlighting land rights regarding the Mabo v. the State of Queensland case and the importance behind today’s teachers understanding and including Indigenous

    Read More

  • The Stolen Generation of Aboriginal Decent

    917 Words  | 2 Pages

    Within Australia, beginning from approximately the time of European settlement to late 1969, the Aboriginal population of Australia experienced the detrimental effects of the stolen generation. A majority of the abducted children were ’half-castes’, in which they had one white parent and the other of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. Following the government policies, the European police and government continued the assimilation of Aboriginal children into ‘white’ society. Oblivious to the destruction and devastation they were causing, the British had believed that they were doing this for “their [Aborigines] own good”, that they were “protecting” them as their families and culture were deemed unfit to raise them. These beliefs caused ...

    Read More

  • The Assimilation Policy and Its Impact on the Indigenous Australian Society

    1077 Words  | 3 Pages

    The assimilation policy was a policy that existed between the 1940’s and the 1970’s, and replaced that of protectionism. Its purpose was to have all persons of aboriginal blood and mixed blood living like ‘white’ Australians, this established practice of removing Aboriginal children (generally half-bloods) from their homes was to bring them up without their culture, and they were encouraged to forget their aboriginal heritage. Children were placed in institutions where they could be 'trained' to take their place in white society. During the time of assimilation Aboriginal people were to be educated for full citizenship, and have access to public education, housing and services. However, most commonly aboriginal people did not receive equal rights and opportunities, for example, their wages were usually less than that paid to the white workers and they often did not receive recognition for the roles they played in the defence of Australia and their contribution to the cattle industry. It wasn’t until the early 1960’s that expendi...

    Read More

  • The Indian Act In Canada

    940 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Indian act, since being passed by Parliament in 1876, has been quite the validity test for Aboriginal affairs occurring in Canada. Only a minority of documents in Canadian history have bred as much dismay, anger and debate compared to the Indian Act—but the legislation continues as a central element in the management of Aboriginal affairs in Canada. Aboriginal hatred against current and historic terms of the Indian Act is powerful, but Indigenous governments and politicians stand on different sides of the fence pertaining to value and/or purpose of the legislation. This is not shocking, considering the political cultures and structures of Aboriginal communities have been distorted and created by the imposition of the Indian Act.

    Read More

  • Chronic Kidney Disease

    544 Words  | 2 Pages

    CKD is regarded as both a community and public health issue as a result of four main reasons: firstly, the disease places a huge burden on the community, which continues to grow despite the numerous measures that have been put in place to control it. Secondly, CKD is unfairly contracted as various segments of a given population are known to be unequally affected (Couser, Remuzzi, Mendis, & Tonelli, 2011). Thirdly, there is sufficient proof that effective preventive measures could greatly reduce the burden caused by the health problem. However, the proposed preventive measures are still in process and not yet functional (Levey & Coresh, 2012).

    Read More

More about Australian Government Policy

Open Document