Indigenous History

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1. Archaeology & Anthropology :
• Aboriginal Heritage Office
  ‘A joint initiative by Lane Cove, Manly, North Sydney, Warringah and Willoughby councils, in a progressive move to protect Aboriginal Heritage in these areas.’ [‘Did you know there are over 1 000 sites of Aboriginal culture and heritage in the areas of Sydney known as Lane Cove, Manly, North Sydney, Warringah and Willoughby ?’]
• Aboriginal Heritage Information Management System
  ‘A database and recording cards for all Aboriginal objects, Aboriginal places and other Aboriginal heritage values in NSW that have been reported to the NPWS [and] a database index of archaeological reports and a library of these reports. ’
• Ausanthrop : Anthropology in Aboriginal Australia
  ‘The AusAnthrop site is dedicated to research and resources in anthropology, for academics as well as the layman. Special accent is on Aboriginal Australia, and more specifically on the Aborigines of the Western Desert’. Check the Tribal Database and the Kinship Tutorial in particular.
• Australia’s Oldest Human Remains
  At Lake Mungo in southern New South Wales.
• Australian Stone Tools
• Dating the Colonisation of Sahul
  [Pleistocene Australia-New Guinea]
  A ‘a review of recent research’. There is information about the authors, an abstract and access to a Fee-based .pdf download.
• Dharawal People of New South Wales
  [Archaeology]
  Rock carving, stone structures and various rock shelters related to history.
• Dinnertime at Cuddie Springs
  [Hunting and Butchering Megafauna ?]
  A ‘Report prepared for the Brewarrina Local Aboriginal Land Council December, 1996.’
• Early Human Occupation at Devil’s Lair
  [Southwestern Australia 50 000 Years Ago]
  Information about the authors, an abstract and access to a Fee-based .pdf download.
• Revealing The Prehistoric Settlement of Australia
  [By Y chromosome and mtDNA analysis]
  Looks at what this data implies. Downloadable as a .pdf document.
• The History of Aboriginal Australia
  [Who, When, How, and From Where - Evidence for the Australian Colonisation]
  An article containing information on the use of mitochondrial data to clarify dates for colonisation. There are also links to other studies, some of which have also been listed [see ‘Specific Studies’ section for these.
• The Human Colonisation of Australia
  [Optical Dates of 53 000 and 60 000 years bracket human arrival at Deaf Adder Gorge, Northern Territory]
  Information about the authors, an abstract and access to a Fee-based .pdf download.
• Using Bush Plants
  ‘This program investigates traditional Aboriginal use of Australia’s native plants. This program is available as a Self-guided activity or as an Explainer-led activity.’

1. Documentation
   Includes documents, document databases, journals, reports, texts and other written formats.
• Aboriginal History [1]
  ‘Aboriginal History Inc is a publishing organisation based in Canberra, Australia. It publishes the annual refereed journal Aboriginal History and a monograph series.’
• Agreements, Treaties and Negotiated Settlements
  [ATNS]
  ‘An online gateway which links together current information, historical detail and published material relating to agreements made between Indigenous people and others in Australia and overseas.’ Database format.
2. General Information
   Includes portals, and link databases, leading to further information about Indigenous history in Australia.
• Aboriginal History [2]
  The Aborigines and their time on this continent. Believed to be about 60 000 years.
• Australian Centre for Indigenous History
  Based at the ANU. Find research, projects, publications, links and more.
• Australian Indigenous People
  Links to a range of Aboriginal history and Aboriginal life, developed by the Duffy Resource Centre at Trinity College, Western Australia.
• Interactive Macquarie Atlas of Indigenous Australia
  Part of MacquarieNet Online Reference Library. While this is Fee-based, it is quite cheap. Access provides for ‘layers’ of very specific information to be overlaid on a map of Australia. Multiple options and help.
• Mission Voices. Koorie Heritage Trust
  ‘Share in the unique culture and history of Victorian Aboriginal [Koorie] people. Hear our Elders tell of their lives on missions.’
• Prehistory of Australia
  ‘The prehistory of Australia is the period between the first human habitation of the Australian continent and the first definitive sighting of Australia by Europeans in 1606, which may be taken as the beginning of the recent history of Australia.’ From wikipedia.
• The Koori History Website
  ‘This website consists of more than 3 500 pages and contains a comprehensive collection of images from koori history’ and more. Maintained by Gary Foley. Not updated for a while.
• White Australia has a Black History
  [Sources for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies in the National Library of Australia]
  Article with embedded links to the collection and other information.
3. Specific Groups
   Looks at the history of specific Aboriginal groups in different parts of Australia.
• Adnyamathanha History
  ‘It is difficult to generalise about Aboriginal people, their cultures and their histories. To help explain this, we have included a detailed timeline of one particular group - the Adnyamathanha people of the Finders Rangers in southern Australia, from the time of white invasion.’ Done in time periods. Now stored in the Pandora Archive.
• Eora : Aboriginal Sydney
  Several pages, some interactive, covering the Eora people. From the State Library of NSW.
• Koorie Aboriginal History of …
  [Dandenong - Pakenham, Australia]
  Presentation from the ‘pre-European’ period to the present. Information about the interaction between Aboriginal people and European settlers. Resources, projects to complete and ‘knowledge’ tests. A valuable resource.
  Temporarily unavailable. This will only be maintained until the next update unless it becomes available.
4. Timelines :
• Aboriginal History Timeline
  Timeline of Aboriginal history. Part of an Aboriginal cultural site.
• Timeline of Aboriginal Resistance
  Listing incidents of Aboriginal resistance to white settlement.
• Timeline of Indigenous Australia
  Done in Western Australia with the latter section being strongly oriented to that state.
• Timeline of Significant Moments …
  [in the Indigenous Struggle in south east Australia]
  Covers the period 1925 to 1992 at time of inclusion.
• Indigenous Australia Timeline
  Done by the Australian Museum, this is the Pre-Contact section. The other three sections are available through links at the upper left and range through to 2000.

In addition to the more general information contained in this section, you should also check for specific matters detailed in the Specific Events section below.
This section dominantly emphasises the years since 1950.
1. Aboriginal Tent Embassy :
• The Aboriginal “Embassy”
  A brief summary with links to further information and images.
• The Aboriginal Tent Embassy
  Further information, with a chronology of events and actions linked to it, can be found here.
2. General Links & Portals :
• 25 Years On
  A ‘Timeline of Significant Developments in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs since 1967.’ Done in yearly listings in point form.
• Collaborating for Indigenous Rights 1957-1973
  ‘The fifteen years from the late 1950s to the early 1970s was a time of unusual collaboration between black and white activists in Australia. This site tells their stories.’ Emphasises the Fights for Civil Rights and Land Rights.
• Draft Time Line
  [Legal Developments Affecting Indigenous People]
  Access both the timeline and timeline resources.
• Electoral Milestone/Timetable for Indigenous Australians
  A chronological, annotated listing from the Australian Electoral Commission. Current up to 2005.
• Indigenous Law Resources
  Search for publications by title, year or agency/author.
• Indigenous Settlements of Australia
  A report by ‘Dr Paul Memmott and Mark Moran [for the] Department of the Environment and Heritage, 2001.’ Quite an extensive presentation in multiple parts.
• Legal Information
  By using this link, legal information including links to legal documentation, can be accessed from the Indigenous Australia page.
• Reconciliation
  By using this link, information concerning reconciliation, groups and understandings, can be accessed from the Indigenous Australia page.
• Royal Commission on Aboriginal Deaths in Custody
  Covers national, regional individual death reports, a report on the Underlying Issues and a summary.
• The Australian Freedom Rides
  Covers the US origins of the idea, the Sydney clash, Charles Perkins, Walgett, Moree and the aftermath of the ride. Includes first-hand accounts and short sound grabs.
• Population Distribution
  [Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, 2006]
  From the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Also, check the other tabbed sections including the Past & Future Releases.
3. Native Title & Land Rights
   Includes information on various aspects of this. For the Mabo decision, see the link in the Specific Events section.
• Aboriginal Australian Native Title
  ‘Keeps track of leading relevant University and Governmental information facilities.’
• Central Land Council
  ‘Information on land use, land acquisition, mining, permits in central and south Northern Territory.’
• National Native Title Tribunal
  The Tribunal, Native Title Applications, other information, publications and more.
4. Stolen Generations, The
   Includes both specific and related information.
• ‘Bringing Them Home’
  The report on The Stolen Generations, completed in the 1990s.
• Bringing Them Home Education Module
  A resource developed by the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission and updated in 2007. Check re possible costs for this.
• Calculating Lives …
  [The Numbers and Narratives of Forced Removals in Queensland 1859-1972]
  A PhD thesis available online in .pdf format.
• Content of Apologies
  [By State and Territory Parliaments]
  Listed online and downloadable as a Word version. Developed by the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission.
  See the national apology link in the Specific Events section.
• Stolen Generations
  Covers the emergence of the removal policy, the policy in practice, social impact, historical debates public awareness and recognition, the Australian Government apology, legal status and compensation, films and books, notable people, comparisons to similar countries, references and extensive further links. From wikipedia.
• Stolen Generations Alliance
  Background information, an education kit, media, implementing Bringing Them Home, speeches and several links to further information and media.
• Stolen Generations, The
  An article by Robert Manne.

1. 1967 Referendum
   Includes both general and specific information.
• 1967 Referendum
  ‘The National Film and Sound Archive is pleased to present a selection of material relating to the landmark referendum of 1967.’
• Australian Referendum, 1967 [Aboriginals]
  Looks at the background, the campaign, the legacy, changes to the text of the constitution, the results, references and further links. From wikipedia.
• Background Paper
  [The Origin of Commonwealth Involvement in Indigenous Affairs and the 1967 Referendum]
  Considerable information from the Australian Parliamentary Library.
• Collaborating for Indigenous Rights
  Information from the National Museum of Australia about the 1967 Referendum. Also check the page covering Earlier attempts to change the Constitution.
• Fact sheet 150 - The 1967 Referendum
  From the National Archives. Provides, information to further sources and links to a range of records particularly from governments sources, related to this topic. Also check Constitutional Alteration [Aboriginals] Act 1967 and us the further link in the green box at the bottom to see an online, digital copy of the document.
2. Mabo :
• Australian History of Henry Reynolds, The
  A .pdf article about the suggested impact of Henry Reynolds on court decisions relating to the Mabo Judgement of 1992.
• Background Information
  About Mabo, and Wik as well.
• Beginner’s Guide to Land Rights
  [NIT Fact Sheet]
  One of a series of fact sheets from the National Indigenous Times, covering all aspects of this topic. A .pdf download.
• Conceptualising Native Title
  An article, in .pdf, from the Sydney Law Review.
• High Court Decision on Mabo
  All the detail relating to the High Court decision.
• Mabo Judgement and Its Implication, The
• Mabo : Ten Years On [1]
  Follow the chronology and what has happened.
• Mabo : Ten Years On [2]
  .PDF document looking at this.
• Mabo & the Wik Decisions
  From the Trinity College resource centre.
• Native Title - A Simple Guide
  Delves into the Mabo legal case and issues it raises for indigenous people and other Australians. Download as a .pdf.
3. new !Massacres
   A number of these occurred from the earliest settlement through to the 1930s. Links to information about specific massacres, as well as general listings, are provided below.
• Convincing Ground
  Extract from a report of a massacre in Victoria.
• Fighting Hills Massacre, 1840
  Description of a massacre occuring north of Coleraine.
• Gippsland Massacres
  A listing with brief details, but embedded links to further information. From wikipedia.
• List of Massacres of Indigenous Australians
  Lists massacres in time periods, with short descriptions and embedded links to further information. From wikipedia.
• Myall Creek Massacre
  Provides information about the massacre and the trials that followed, including the consequences that came from this. ‘The first time that white people had been punished under British law for crimes against Aboriginal people.’ From wikipedia.
• Myall Creek, Our Shared History
  ‘We are a group of volunteers, both indigenous and non-indigenous Australians, committed to seeing the Myall Creek massacre remembered … both for the tragedy that it was and also for the turning point it marked in the long road of reconciliation.’ Extensive resources and information.
4. National Government Apology
   The apology issued on behalf of the Federal Government on 13 February 2008.
• Apology to the Stolen Generations
  ‘The 42nd Parliament of Australia opened on February 13, 2008, with a ‘Welcome to Country’ speech by The Prime Minister of Australia, the Honourable Kevin Rudd, MP. Mr Rudd then moved a motion in the Federal Parliament offering an apology to Australia’s Indigenous people.’ Includes links to background, media releases, speeches and broadcasts.
• Rudd Delivers Apology
  An online video available in several formats, from the Australian Broadcasting Commission.
5. Wik Decision :
• An Overview Of The Wik Decision
  Article from the University of New South Wales Law Journal.
• Wik - What do we Do Now ?
  ‘What Australia does about Wik and how it does it will be an important mark of our maturity as a nation. In this presentation I want to canvass some possible responses to the decision as options for consideration by all the stakeholders.’ Article by Justice French.