Lyla Lindsey
Indigenous Australians are the native population of Australia. They are comprised 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. There is great diversity within these two groups, with hundreds of subgroups speaking over 150 different languages and spread across the nation. The Aboriginal Australians are one of the oldest living populations in the world and possibly the oldest outside of Africa, with evidence suggesting they reached Australia about 50,000 years ago.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Aboriginal Australians, First Nations, Indigenous Australians, Australian Aboriginal Peoples |
| Population | 983,700 as of 2021 |
| Median Age | 24 years as of 2021 |
| Age Distribution | One-third (33.1%) under 15 years old; 74.5% live in New South Wales, Queensland, and Western Australia |
| Ancestry | Related to a common group of ancestors from 50,000 years ago; carry alleles associated with Denisovan peoples of Asia |
| Culture and Language | Diverse and culturally distinctive; represented by over 250 distinct language groups |
| Political Status | Federal laws applied since 1967; established the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Group on COVID-19 in 2020 |
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What You'll Learn
Aboriginal Australians are one of the world's oldest populations
The new models suggest that the first people may have landed in the Kimberley region of Western Australia about 60,000 years ago and settled across the continent within 6,000 years. Genetic studies have revealed that a population wave from the Persian plateau during the Initial Upper Paleolithic period populated the Asia-Pacific region via a southern route dispersal. The Tasmanian Aboriginal population is thought to have first crossed into Tasmania around 40,000 years ago via a land bridge during the last glacial period.
A 2011 genetic study found evidence that the Aboriginal, Papuan, and Mamanwa peoples possess genetic markers associated with the Denisovans of Asia. This suggests that modern and archaic humans interbred in Asia approximately 44,000 years ago, before Australia separated from New Guinea and the migration to Australia. The study confirms Aboriginal Australians as one of the oldest living populations in the world, with deep connections to the Australian continent and the broader Asian region.
The genetic diversity among Aboriginal Australians is remarkable, with groups from southwestern Australia being genetically more distinct from northeastern Australia than Native Americans are from Siberians. This diversity can be attributed to the long period of population in the continent, as well as the geographical isolation of the Aboriginal people, with little to no interaction with outside cultures before some contact with Makassan fishermen and Dutch explorers up to 500 years ago.
The Aboriginal rock art, dated by modern techniques, further showcases that their culture has continued from ancient times. Oral histories passed down by the Yolngu people in Arnhem Land also indicate that Aboriginal Australians may have one of the oldest continuous cultures on Earth.
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The Tasmanian Aboriginal population
Before British colonisation in 1803, there were an estimated 3,000-15,000 Aboriginal Tasmanians. Within three decades, their population suffered a drastic decline, and by 1835, only about 400 full-blooded Tasmanian Aboriginal people remained. This demographic collapse has been attributed to various factors, including introduced diseases, conflicts such as the Black War, and the prostitution of women. Despite these challenges, the Tasmanian Aboriginal people have a rich cultural heritage deeply connected to the natural world around them.
Tasmania is now taking steps to acknowledge and learn from Aboriginal culture. In the 2021 Census, 30,000 people in Tasmania identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, representing 5.4% of the state's population. This was an increase from 4.6% in 2016 and 4.0% in 2011. The Tasmanian Aboriginal people have a unique genetic makeup, with evidence suggesting ancient Asian ancestry and a close relationship with other Oceanians, such as Papuans and Melanesians.
The Tasmanian Aboriginal people have a deep respect for nature, viewing it not as a luxury but as an essential way of life. They utilise native plants and animals for various purposes, including food, medicine, craft, and seasonal signifiers. For example, certain flowering wattle seeds indicate the wallaby birthing season, and seaweed is used to carry water and add essential iodine.
The Tasmanian Aboriginal people are also known for their burial ceremonies, which involve smoking ceremonies using peppermint gum and burying the deceased inside a hollow tree surrounded by their belongings. While the Tasmanian Aboriginal population faced significant challenges and losses, their culture and heritage continue to be an integral part of Tasmania's history and present-day community.
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The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population
The Aboriginal Australians are one of the oldest populations of humans living outside of Africa, with a common group of ancestors who emerged on the mainland more than 50,000 years ago. Genetic studies have revealed that a population wave from the Persian plateau during the Initial Upper Paleolithic period populated the Asia-Pacific region via a southern route dispersal. Another study found that the Aboriginal Australians are related to the New Guinea and Mamanwa groups, diverging from them about 36,000 to 44,000 years ago.
The Tasmanian Aboriginal population is thought to have crossed into Tasmania around 40,000 years ago via a land bridge during the last glacial period. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities have been taking steps to reclaim the remains of their ancestors that were taken for scientific study and museum displays outside of Australia.
Historically, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population in Australia faced discrimination. They were not counted in the overall population statistics until 1967, when Australians voted that federal laws would apply to them. The 'Stolen Generations' were placed in adoptive families and institutions, where they were forbidden from speaking their native languages and often had their names changed.
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![Wall Art Impact 29"x24" Poster Aboriginal Australia Resource Map [Laminated]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/711VXI09qcL._AC_UL320_.jpg)
The history of the Australian Aboriginal peoples
Indigenous Australians, or Aboriginal Australians, are the native population of Australia. They consist of two distinct groups: the Aboriginal Australians of the mainland and its islands, including Tasmania, and the Torres Strait Islanders, who live in the seas between Queensland and Papua New Guinea. There are more than 400 distinct Aboriginal peoples, distinguished by names designating their ancestral languages, dialects, or distinctive speech patterns.
The ancestors of today's Aboriginal Australians first migrated to the continent between 45,000 and 65,000 years ago, making them one of the oldest living populations in the world. They are genetically most closely related to other Oceanians, such as Papuans and Melanesians, and share a complex genetic history.
Prior to British colonisation, Aboriginal people lived as foragers and hunter-gatherers, with a deep connection to the natural environment. Their mode of life and material cultures varied greatly from region to region, with some permanent settlements and evidence of agriculture and aquaculture.
The colonisation process brought devastating consequences for Aboriginal people, with clashes and conflicts between colonists and Aboriginal communities. The killing of Aboriginal peoples was widespread, and protectionist policies aimed to segregate and control Aboriginal populations. As a result of this violence and dispossession, the Indigenous population declined, reaching a low of 74,000 in 1933.
In more recent times, the Australian government has taken steps towards reconciliation, with the Prime Minister formally apologising to Aboriginal peoples for their mistreatment under previous governments in 2008. However, Aboriginal communities continue to face health and economic disadvantages, including a higher rate of suicide, stemming from historical trauma, socioeconomic disadvantage, and decreased access to education and healthcare.
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The Aboriginal Australian fight for recognition
Aboriginal Australians, together with the Torres Strait Islanders, are the native population of Australia. They are the first peoples of Australia, having lived on the continent for over 65,000 years. They are not one group but comprise hundreds of groups with distinct languages, histories, and cultural traditions. They are genetically most closely related to other Oceanians, such as Papuans and Melanesians, and may be the oldest population of humans living outside of Africa.
Despite making up about 3% of Australia's population, Aboriginal Australians have faced centuries of repression and injustice since British colonisation. They have been subjected to protectionist policies, segregation, forced removal of children, and massacres perpetrated by civilian "hunting" parties and the Native Police. Aboriginal Australians were also excluded from electoral rolls and could be jailed for speaking their native tongue in public.
The fight for recognition and sovereignty has been a long and ongoing battle for Aboriginal Australians. Early examples of resistance include mass protests against inhumane treatment and living conditions on Aboriginal reservations, such as the Cummeragunja walk-off. In 1933, Yorta Yorta man William Cooper established the Australian Aborigines' League to lobby for the improvement of the lives and rights of First Nations peoples. During World War II, Aboriginal Australians faced enlistment discrimination, with the Defence Committee deciding that their recruitment was "neither necessary nor desirable".
In 1967, a referendum resulted in the repeal of Section 127 of the Constitution, which had excluded "aboriginal natives" from being counted in overall population statistics. In 1963, the Yolŋu people presented two bark petitions to the Australian House of Representatives, one in Yolŋu Matha and the other in English, in their first formal proposal to have their land rights recognised. These petitions still hang in Parliament House, Canberra.
In 2023, Australians rejected a national referendum that would have recognised Aboriginal people in the Constitution and created a group to advise Parliament on important issues. Despite this setback, Aboriginal Australians continue to fight for national recognition and restitution from the Australian government.
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Frequently asked questions
The native population of Australia are Indigenous Australians, which include two distinct groups: Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders.
Yes, Aboriginal people have referred to themselves as Koori, Murri, or Nunga, depending on the region they are connected to.
As of 30 June 2021, there were 983,700 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, representing 3.8% of the total Australian population.
Indigenous Australians are one of the oldest living populations in the world and possibly the oldest outside of Africa. They have a long history of cultural traditions, languages, and ways of life that vary across different regions.
Indigenous Australians have faced historical social, health, and educational disadvantages. The Australian government has implemented various programs, scholarships, and grants to address these issues and promote equality.
