AUSTRALIA: THE CLASH OF ABORIGINAL &

EUROPEAN CULTURE

WARM UP: Australia’s Geography Review

1. What is the capital of Australia?A. Sydney B. Auckland

C. Canberra D. Melbourne

2. The Australian term for the vast desert areas in the interior of the mainland is…A. monolithB. the Great Barrier ReefC. The OutbackD. New Zealand

3. Why do most Australians live along the coasts of the mainland?A. The best climate is along the

coastsB. The coasts are less expensive

to live alongC. The coasts are saferD. The mainland is the property

of Indonesia

4. What island is considered part of Australia?

A. Tasmania B. New ZealandC. Hawaii D. Papua New Guinea

AUSTRALIA WORD SPLASH

James Cook

aborigineThe Dreaming

DIDGERIDOO

colonization

prisonersGreat Britain

Uluru

Nomads

The Aborigines of Australia The word "aboriginal"

means "the first" or "earliest known".

Australia may be the home of the world’s first people. In 1971, stone tools were discovered in a quarry in New South Wales. This shows that humans lived in Australia at least 12,000 years before they appeared in Europe.

Scientists believe the Aborigines of Australia migrated from Southeast Asia.

Aboriginal man in front of Ayers Rock or “Uluru.”

Aboriginal Culture The first Aborigines lived

on the coast of Australia. They lived in small

groups and were hunter-gatherers/nomads. This meant that they traveled where food was and did not settle in one place.

There may have been over 500 different groups of Aborigines with more than 200 languages!

Aboriginal Religion Aboriginal religion is

based on “the Dreaming.” The Dreaming is what

Aborigines call the beginning of life on Earth.

They believed spirits shaped the land and created the animals and people.

The Aborigines believe the earth is a link to the spiritual world and is sacred.

European Colonization The Dutch were the first

Europeans to discover Australia.

Europeans settled in Australia in the late 18th century.

Europeans brought many diseases to the native Aborigines, wiping out an estimated half of the indigenous population.   

From 1770-1771 James Cook explored Australia. He claimed the entire east coast for Great Britain.

The British wanted the Aborigines’ land, but soldiers were better armed in battle.

European Colonization Continued… Australia became a colony

that housed convicts. By 1852 over 150,000

convicts had been sent to Australia from Great Britain.

In 1861 officials created boundaries that then became the seven independent colonies.

The British established the country of Australia in 1901.

They made laws limiting where the Aborigines could live and work.

In the 1960’s, the government changed some policies about the Aboriginal people.

Thinking critically… What other native

cultures have you learned about this year that suffered the same fate the Aboriginal people did in Australia?

Hint: Think about other places that Europe colonized and what effect it had on the native population!

Because of European colonization the Aborigines make up only 2.7% of Australia’s population!

Australian Aborigine boy performing a ceremonial dance.

SHOW WHAT YOU KNOW!

1) Which indigenous group bases its religion on the Dreaming?

A.) the MaoriB.) the Australian AboriginesC.) the BritishD.) the Polynesian Islanders   

2) From where did the Aborigines enter the Australian continent thousands of years

ago?A.) AfricaB.) AntarcticaC.) New ZealandD.) Southeast Asia  

3) Which describes the Aborigines?

A.) minersB.) seamenC.) nomadsD.) ranchers  

 4) What European explorer claimed half of Australia for

Great Britain?

A.) James CookB.) Christopher ColumbusC.) Vasco da GamaD.) John Cabot  

5) Who were the first Europeans to discover

Australia?A.) SpanishB.) DutchC.) PortugueseD.) French   

6) Which was an effect of British settlement of

Australia?A.) Aborigines remained in their homelands

B.) Many Aborigines became factory workers in order to surviveC.) Thousands of Aborigines died of smallpox and other diseasesD.) Aborigines were elected to representative positions in the colonial government   

7) What instrument is an important part of Australian

religion?

A.) ukuleleB.) didgeridooC.) banjoD.) harmonica   

 

8) Which group of people contributed MOST to the colonization of Australia?

A.) doctorsB.) artistsC.) prisonersD.) Puritans