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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, also known as First Nations people, are the first peoples of Australia. They comprise hundreds of groups with distinct languages, histories, and cultural traditions. In Western Australia, they make up 3.3% of the population, with 89,000 people identifying as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander in the 2021 Census. This proportion has increased slightly over the years, with a growing concentration in the Greater Perth area. The Aboriginal community in Western Australia is generally youthful, with a larger proportion of people under 25 compared to the non-Indigenous population.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Population | 89,000 people identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander in the 2021 Census of Population and Housing |
| Percentage of Western Australia's population | 3.3% |
| Percentage of Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population | Almost 13% |
| Age structure | Relatively young with larger proportions of people aged 29 and under, compared to the non-Indigenous population |
| Median equivalised total household weekly income | $808 |
| Proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 20-24 years who completed Year 12 or equivalent as their highest year of school | 51.2% |
| Housing | 78.8% lived in appropriately sized (not overcrowded) dwellings in 2021 |
| Languages | 11,213 people used Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander languages |
| Religion | A sizable minority do not identify with a particular religion |
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What You'll Learn
Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, also known as First Nations people, are the first peoples of Australia. They comprise hundreds of distinct groups, each with their own language, history, and cultural traditions. The naming of these groups is complex, with various names like Anangu, Arrernte, Koori, and Murri, reflecting the diverse nature of their communities.
In Western Australia (WA), Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up 3.3% of the state's population, which is around 89,000 individuals as of the 2021 Census. This proportion has increased slightly from 3.1% in 2016 and 2011. Almost 13% of Australia's total Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population resides in WA, making it the state with the second-largest concentration of these communities after Queensland.
The age structure of WA's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population differs from the general population. It is generally younger, with a larger proportion of individuals under the age of 25 compared to the non-Indigenous population. The median equivalised total household weekly income for these communities in WA is $808, slightly lower than the national average of $830.
Historically, the Aboriginal population in WA experienced a decline due to the impacts of European settlement, including shooting, poisoning, starvation, and disease. However, their numbers have recovered over time, and the community continues to grow. The largest concentration of Aboriginal peoples in WA is in the Greater Perth area, with the Kimberley region having a significant percentage, at around 40% identifying as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Australian Government established the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Group on COVID-19 to provide culturally appropriate advice and develop a management plan for these communities. This group played a crucial role in ensuring the well-being and health of First Nations people during the health crisis.
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Population decline and recovery
The Aboriginal population of Australia faced a steep decline following the arrival of European settlers in the 18th and 19th centuries. The Aboriginal communities were devastated by violence, poisoning, starvation, and foreign diseases introduced by the colonists. During the early 20th century, many Indigenous Australians worked as stockmen on sheep and cattle stations for extremely low wages. As a result of these factors, the Indigenous population of Australia declined significantly, reaching a low of 74,000 in 1933.
However, the Aboriginal population began to recover in the subsequent decades. By 1995, the population numbers had returned to pre-colonisation levels, and in 2010, there were around 563,000 Indigenous Australians. This recovery can be attributed to various factors, including improved healthcare, increased life expectancy, and a decrease in mortality rates. Additionally, the Aboriginal communities have preserved their unique languages, cultures, and belief structures, with over 200 distinct languages spoken at the time of British settlement.
In Western Australia specifically, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population has been steadily growing. In the 2021 Census, 89,000 people identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, representing 3.3% of the state's population. This proportion has increased slightly from 3.1% in 2016 and 2011. The median equivalised total household weekly income for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander households in Western Australia was $808, slightly lower than the national average of $830.
The age structure of the Aboriginal community in Western Australia is younger compared to the non-Indigenous population, with a higher proportion of individuals under the age of 25. Additionally, the educational attainment of the Aboriginal population aged 20-24 has improved, with 51.2% having completed Year 12 or its equivalent as their highest level of schooling in 2021, up from 29.0% in 2011. In terms of housing, 78.8% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Western Australia lived in appropriately sized dwellings in 2021, indicating a positive trend in securing suitable housing.
The largest concentration of Aboriginal people in Western Australia is in the Greater Perth area, with a significant presence in the Peel and South West regions, followed by the Kimberley region, where around 40% identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. The recovery and growth of the Aboriginal population in Western Australia reflect their resilience and determination to thrive despite historical injustices and challenges.
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Age structure
The Aboriginal community in Western Australia has a younger age structure compared to the non-Indigenous population. In 2021, one-third (33.1%) of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians were under 15 years old, while only 17.9% of non-Indigenous people were in the same age group. The median age of the Aboriginal population in Western Australia is 23.4 years, lower than the national median age of 27 years. This younger age structure is also reflected in the higher proportion of the Aboriginal population under 25 years old, which is about half compared to one-third of the non-Aboriginal population.
The Aboriginal population in Western Australia has experienced an increase in recent years, with a notable rise between 2011 and 2021. This increase is attributed to various factors, including higher birth rates and changes in identification. In 2021, 76.2% of the increase in the Aboriginal population was due to individuals aged 0-19 years old, with 52.5% attributed to children aged 0-4 years old (births since 2016). This trend indicates a significant contribution of births to the growing Aboriginal population in Western Australia.
The Aboriginal community in Western Australia is diverse, with various linguistic and cultural groups. Historically, they formed as many as 500 linguistic and territorial groups, and today, more than 400 distinct Australian Aboriginal peoples have been identified, each with its own language, dialects, or speech patterns. The naming of these groups is complex, and they are often distinguished by names related to their geographical locations or ecological environments. For example, the term "Anangu" refers to people in northern South Australia and neighbouring parts of Western Australia, while "Koori" or "Koorie" is used in New South Wales and Victoria.
The age structure of the Aboriginal population in Western Australia also varies within the state. The Greater Perth area has the largest and growing concentration of Aboriginal people in the state. The distribution of the Aboriginal population in Western Australia differs from the rest of the country, with fewer people living in regional areas and more residing in remote and very remote locations. This unique distribution may impact the age structure within different regions of Western Australia, with potential variations in access to education, healthcare, and other services.
Understanding the age structure of the Aboriginal population in Western Australia is essential for informing policies and initiatives aimed at supporting the community's unique needs. The higher proportion of young individuals within the Aboriginal community may have implications for education, healthcare, and social services. Additionally, the younger age structure may influence cultural preservation and the transmission of traditional knowledge and beliefs within the community.
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Housing
The census also showed that most Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Western Australia (78.8%) lived in appropriately sized dwellings without overcrowding. However, it is important to note that the definition of housing suitability is based on the Canadian National Occupancy Standard (CNOS), which may not fully align with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives on appropriate housing and overcrowding.
In Western Australia, about 12,000 people reside in over 200 remote Aboriginal communities, while an additional 3,000 Aboriginal individuals live in 37 town-based communities. The Kimberley region is home to the majority of these remote and town-based communities, with others scattered across the Pilbara, Goldfields, and Mid West-Gascoyne regions. Living conditions in these remote areas tend to be poorer, with limited access to investment, employment opportunities, training, education, and essential services.
The Aboriginal Lands Trust (ALT) estate in Western Australia covers 23 million hectares, or 8.7% of the state, and is home to approximately 12,000 people across 145 communities. The Western Australian government is actively working with Native Title groups and Aboriginal communities to address claims and create community-driven opportunities. Additionally, the North-West Aboriginal Housing Fund is investing in affordable and stable housing options for Aboriginal people in the Kimberley and Pilbara regions.
Overall, the housing situation for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Western Australia is complex. While most individuals have access to appropriately sized dwellings, there are broader issues related to living conditions, economic opportunities, and essential services in remote communities that need to be addressed. The Western Australian government is taking steps to improve the situation through initiatives like the North-West Aboriginal Housing Fund and collaboration with Native Title groups.
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Languages and naming
The naming of Aboriginal groups is complex. Some groups are named after the place they live, such as Anangu in northern South Australia and neighbouring parts of Western Australia and the Northern Territory. Others are named after the language they speak, like the Pama-Nyungan language family. Many groups have several names, and some groups do not have a single name for themselves.
The Aboriginal population of Australia is diverse, with more than 400 distinct groups identified, each with its own language and culture. These groups are distinguished by names designating their ancestral languages, dialects, or distinctive speech patterns. At the time of British settlement, there were over 200 distinct languages spoken by Aboriginal people. The 2022 Australian census recorded 167 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages used at home by some 76,978 people. Of the 89,000 people who identified as being of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander origin in Western Australia in the 2021 census, 11,213 people used Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander languages.
The status and knowledge of Aboriginal languages today vary greatly. Many languages became extinct with settlement as the encroachment of colonial society broke up Indigenous cultures. In the late 18th century, there were more than 250 distinct First Nations Peoples social groupings and a similar number of languages or varieties. It is now estimated that all but 13 remaining Indigenous languages are considered endangered. Of the five least endangered Western Australian Aboriginal languages, four belong to the Western Desert grouping of the Central and Great Victoria Desert. Yolŋu languages from north-east Arnhem Land are also currently learned by children.
Aboriginal people today mostly speak English, with Aboriginal phrases and words being added to create Australian Aboriginal English (which also has a tangible influence of Indigenous languages in its phonology and grammatical structure). English is the only language spoken in the vast majority of households in Western Australia. However, bilingual education is being used successfully in some communities.
Nearly three-quarters of Australian place names have origins in Aboriginal languages. However, the method of recording names used by early colonial surveyors was often unreliable. When a surveyor was seeking the name of a river, the Aboriginal responder might have given the word for "sand" or "water". Unless living speakers of the original languages remained when systematic research of Indigenous languages began in the 1930s, the meaning of many place names was lost or is now open to several interpretations.
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Frequently asked questions
In the 2021 Census, 3.3% (89,000 people) of the Western Australian population identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. This is up from 3.1% in 2016 and 2011.
The Aboriginal community in Western Australia is generally youthful, with larger proportions of people under 25 years old compared to the non-Indigenous population. In 2021, it was estimated that one-third (34%) of the First Nations population was aged under 15, compared to 17% of non-Indigenous people in the same age group.
When the first permanent European settlers arrived in Perth in 1829, they encountered an Aboriginal population that had occupied the lands of Western Australia for tens of thousands of years. As European settlements spread, the Aboriginal communities were decimated by shooting, poisoning, starvation, and disease. The Indigenous population reached a low of 74,000 in 1933 before numbers began to recover.
