Lyla Lindsey
Aboriginal Australians are the indigenous peoples of the Australian mainland and its islands (excluding the Torres Strait Islands). They are believed to have migrated from Southeast Asia by sea during the Pleistocene epoch, making them among the first in the world to have completed sea voyages. They have lived on the continent for over 65,000 years and have one of the oldest continuous cultures on Earth. Today, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people comprise about 3.8% of Australia's population, with a median age of 24 years.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Migration to Australia | 50,000 to 65,000 years ago |
| Population in 2021 | 983,700 (3.8% of the total Australian population) |
| Population in 2022 | 1 million+ |
| Median age in 2021 | 24 years |
| Proportion under 15 years in 2021 | One-third (33.1%) |
| Languages | 167 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages; English; Australian Aboriginal English |
| States with the largest population | New South Wales (339,700); Queensland (273,100); Western Australia (120,000) |
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What You'll Learn
- Australian Aboriginals are indigenous to the Australian mainland and its islands
- They are believed to have migrated from Southeast Asia by sea during the Pleistocene epoch
- They are the first in the world to have completed sea voyages
- They may be the oldest population of humans living outside of Africa
- They have unique beliefs and a strong connection to the land
Australian Aboriginals are indigenous to the Australian mainland and its islands
Over time, the Aboriginal people formed as many as 500 linguistic and territorial groups, with distinct cultures and beliefs. They developed complex trade networks, inter-cultural relationships, laws, and religions, which make up some of the oldest continuous cultures in the world. They also had a strong connection to the land, and some scholars argue that there is evidence of the early practice of agriculture and aquaculture by Aboriginal peoples.
The term "Indigenous Australians" refers to both Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islander peoples. However, the Torres Strait Islanders are ethnically and culturally distinct, with their own governmental status separate from the mainland. The term "First Nations of Australia" or "First Peoples of Australia" is also sometimes used to refer to Indigenous Australians.
In the 2021 census, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people comprised 3.8% of Australia's population, with 812,728 people self-identifying as being of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander origin. The median age of this population was 24 years, with one-third (33.1%) under the age of 15. The majority of Aboriginal people today speak English and live in cities, with large populations in New South Wales, Queensland, and Western Australia.
Despite facing historical challenges such as colonisation, epidemics, and massacres, Aboriginal Australians have persevered and continue to play an integral part in shaping the cultural landscape of Australia.
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They are believed to have migrated from Southeast Asia by sea during the Pleistocene epoch
The ancestors of present-day Aboriginal Australians are believed to have migrated from Southeast Asia by sea during the Pleistocene epoch. This migration is estimated to have occurred between 50,000 and 65,000 years ago, making Aboriginal Australians among the first in the world to have completed sea voyages.
During the Pleistocene epoch, sea levels were much lower than they are today, exposing large sections of the Australian continental shelf. Australia, Tasmania, and New Guinea formed a single landmass known as Sahul, connected by land bridges and shallow seas. This allowed for migration by island hopping and short sea crossings.
Genetic studies support this theory of migration from Southeast Asia. Aboriginal Australians share genetic similarities with other Oceanians, such as Papuans and Melanesians, collectively referred to as "Australasians." They have genetic inheritance from ancient Asian populations, with evidence of migration through South and Maritime Southeast Asia.
The migration of Aboriginal Australians' ancestors during the Pleistocene epoch resulted in their isolation on the Australian continent and surrounding islands. As sea levels rose at the start of the Holocene inter-glacial period about 11,700 years ago, the people on the Australian mainland and nearby islands became increasingly separated. Some groups were isolated on Tasmania and smaller offshore islands, contributing to the development of distinct linguistic and cultural groups over time.
Despite their geographical isolation, Aboriginal Australians maintained extensive networks and trade connections within the continent. They developed complex social behaviours, including cremation, personal ornamentation, and long-distance trade. They also formed one of the oldest continuous cultures in the world, with evidence of human occupation in Australia dating back tens of thousands of years.
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They are the first in the world to have completed sea voyages
Indigenous Australians are people with familial heritage from, or recognised membership of, the various ethnic groups living within the territory of contemporary Australia prior to British colonisation. They consist of two distinct groups: the Aboriginal Australians of the mainland and many islands, including Tasmania, and the Torres Strait Islanders of the seas between Queensland and Papua New Guinea, located in Melanesia.
The ancestors of present-day Aboriginal Australians migrated from Southeast Asia by sea during the Pleistocene epoch, making them among the first in the world to have completed sea voyages. These hazardous voyages involved advanced planning skills, four to seven days of paddling on a raft, and a total group of more than 100 to 400 people. They likely used vessels such as bark canoes and rafts made of bamboo, a material common in Asia.
The settlement of Australia is the first unequivocal evidence of a major sea crossing and is considered one of the greatest achievements of early humans. Aboriginal Australians have effectively been on their country as long as modern human populations have been outside of Africa. Their ancestors arrived shortly after 50,000 years ago, around the time modern humans moved out of Africa. Genomic studies suggest that the peopling of Australia happened between 43,000 and 60,000 years ago, while archaeological evidence indicates a range of 50,000 to 65,000 years ago.
Over time, the Aboriginal people formed as many as 500 linguistic and territorial groups, developing complex trade networks, inter-cultural relationships, laws, and religions. They lived over large sections of the Australian continental shelf when sea levels were lower, and Australia, Tasmania, and New Guinea were part of the same landmass, known as Sahul. As sea levels rose, the people on the Australian mainland and nearby islands became increasingly isolated.
Aboriginal people have a strong connection to their country, including both land and sea. They have maintained extensive networks and strong relationships with coastal and marine environments, recording changes in sea levels in their stories handed down for generations. Their oral records of sea level change are estimated to be around 13,000 years old, making them the oldest in the world.
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They may be the oldest population of humans living outside of Africa
The Aboriginal Australians are the various indigenous peoples of the Australian mainland and its many islands, excluding the ethnically distinct people of the Torres Strait Islands. They are genetically most closely related to other Oceanians, such as Papuans and Melanesians, who are collectively referred to as "Australasians".
It is estimated that humans first migrated to Australia 50,000 to 65,000 years ago, and over time formed as many as 500 linguistic and territorial groups. However, a genetic study has found that the Aboriginal Australians are descendants of the first people to leave Africa up to 75,000 years ago, confirming that they may be the oldest population of humans living outside of Africa. The study, which sequenced the complete genetic information of 83 Aboriginal Australians, found that all present-day non-African populations are descended from the same single wave of migrants who left Africa around 72,000 years ago. This discovery reinforces the view that humans have intermixed throughout history.
The ancestors of present-day Aboriginal Australians migrated from Southeast Asia by sea during the Pleistocene epoch, making them among the first in the world to have completed sea voyages. At that time, Australia, Tasmania, and New Guinea were part of the same landmass, known as Sahul. As sea levels rose, the people on the Australian mainland and nearby islands became increasingly isolated. Despite this, Aboriginal people maintained extensive networks within the continent and certain groups maintained relationships with the Torres Strait Islanders and the Makassar people of modern-day Indonesia.
Over the millennia, Aboriginal people developed complex trade networks, inter-cultural relationships, laws, and religions, which make up some of the oldest continuous cultures in the world. They are believed to have some of the longest deep-time chronologies of any groups on Earth. Archaeological evidence indicates that Aboriginal Australians first migrated to the continent between 43,000 and 60,000 years ago. They are also believed to be genetically distinct from the Torres Strait Islander peoples, who are ethnically and culturally distinct, despite extensive cultural exchange with some Aboriginal groups.
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They have unique beliefs and a strong connection to the land
Aboriginal Australians are the indigenous peoples of the Australian mainland and its many islands, excluding the ethnically distinct people of the Torres Strait Islands. Humans first migrated to Australia between 43,000 and 65,000 years ago, and over time, they formed as many as 500 linguistic and territorial groups.
The Aboriginal population has unique beliefs and a strong connection to the land. There are 900 distinct Aboriginal groups across Australia, each distinguished by unique names, languages, dialects, or distinctive speech mannerisms. Each group has its own original myths, from which the distinctive words and names of individual myths derive.
Aboriginal Australian mythologies have been described as a "history of civilization" and a "geography textbook", with the journeys of ancestral beings, often giant animals or people, creating the landscapes and natural resources seen today. Many Indigenous peoples view the existence of these natural features in present-day landscapes as confirmation of their creation beliefs.
The Dreaming is a central aspect of Aboriginal beliefs, representing a spiritual, bodily connectedness to the land. It is believed that dead relatives communicate their presence in dreams, bringing healing to the dreamer if they are in pain. Death is seen as part of a cycle of life, with people emerging from Dreamtime through birth and eventually returning to the timeless before emerging again. The Dreaming also serves a practical purpose, such as aiding in navigation.
Totemic beliefs are highly elaborated among Aboriginal people, representing a worldview that regards humanity and nature as one corporate whole. Totems serve as intermediate links, both personal and social, between humans and the mythic beings.
Aboriginal people have a deep spiritual connection to their country, which is different from the relationship held by other Australians. This relationship is central to all issues that are important to Indigenous people today, with particular groups claiming identifiable areas of land as their own. Complex social systems and a system of laws to govern the land are expressed through this attachment to the land.
Despite the colonisation of Australia and the loss of land, many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have maintained their claim and connection to the land. In the 1992 Mabo decision, the High Court of Australia recognised that the Meriam People of Torres Strait held native title over their traditional lands. Since the introduction of the Native Title Act, native title has been recognised over more than 32% of the Australian continent.
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Frequently asked questions
Aboriginal Australians are the various indigenous peoples of the Australian mainland and many of its islands. They are the first people known to have lived on the continent, having migrated from Southeast Asia by sea during the Pleistocene epoch, around 50,000 to 65,000 years ago.
According to the 2021 census, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people comprised 3.8% of Australia's population, with 812,728 people self-identifying as being of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander origin. This number is expected to rise to 1.2 million by 2031.
Aboriginal Australians have a strong connection to the land and unique beliefs that vary by region and tribe. They have a long history of complex trade networks, inter-cultural relationships, laws, and religions. They also have a deep-time chronology, with evidence of cremation practices dating back over 40,000 years, personal ornamentation with shell beads from 30,000 years ago, and long-distance trade objects from before 10,000 years ago.
