Australian Aborigines are the main indigenous people of Australia. Their ancestors probably arrived in Australia over 50,000 years ago, although this figure remains in dispute. Some historians believe people have lived in Australia for up to 100, 000 years. Aboriginal people from different parts of Australia have their own names for themselves such as Koori, Yamaji, Nunga, Murri etc; these names are specific to various regions. See the note on nomenclature below. Indigenous peoples are: Peoples living in an area prior to colonization by a state Peoples living in an area within a nation-state, prior to the formation of a nation-state, but who do not identify with the dominant nation. ... This is a list of historians. ... Murri is a politically correct term applied generally to indigenous Australians in Queensland in particular, but also sometimes elsewhere. ...

Tasmanian Aborigines settled on that island approximately 40,000 years ago by migrating across a land bridge from the mainland that existed during the last ice age. After the seas rose, the inhabitants there were isolated from the mainland for 10,000 years until the arrival of European settlers. The Tasmanian Aboriginals are the indigenous people of the island state of Tasmania, Australia. ... Variations in CO2, temperature and dust from the Vostok ice core over the last 400 000 years For the animated movie, see Ice Age (movie). ...

Torres Strait Islanders are also an indigenous population. Although they have some links, Torres Strait Islanders consider themselves to be distinct from Aboriginal peoples. A term used to embrace all groups is indigenous Australians. Torres Strait Islanders are the indigenous people of the Torres Strait Islands, part of Queensland, Australia. ...

History

Pre-colonisation

See History of Australia before 1901 Prehistory and aboriginal legends Humans first arrived in Australia through Indonesia and New Guinea, either by paddling canoes across the Timor Sea or by crossing a land bridge across what is now Torres Strait, between New Guinea and Australia. ...

Aboriginal Flag

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are the indigenous (native) people of Australia. At the time of first contact with the European colonists in the late 18th century, most Aboriginal people were hunter-gatherers with a complex oral culture and spiritual values based upon reverence for the land and a belief in the Dreamtime. The Dreamtime is at once the ancient time of creation and the present day reality of Dreaming. (Also see Aboriginal mythology). The Aboriginal Flag was designed by the Aboriginal artist Harold Thomas in 1971. ... The Aboriginal Flag was designed by the Aboriginal artist Harold Thomas in 1971. ... Torres Strait Islanders are the indigenous people of the Torres Strait Islands, part of Queensland, Australia. ... The History of Australia has been divided into two periods: before and after it became a dominion of the British Empire in 1901. ... (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ... In anthropology, the hunter-gatherer way of life is that led by certain societies of the Neolithic Era based on the exploitation of wild plants and animals. ... The raindow serpent, the Waugal The Dreamtime, also called The Dreaming, is the central, unifying theme in Aboriginal culture. ... The Aborigines of Australia have a polytheistic, animistic religion. ...

The exact timing of the arrival of the ancestors of Aboriginal people has been a matter of dispute among archaeologists. The most common view is that the first humans in Australia arrived via insular southeast Asia more than 50,000 years ago. This means there have been more than 1250 generations in Australia. The 48,000 BC date is based on a few sites in northern Australia dated using thermoluminescence. A large number of sites have been radiocarbon dated to around 38,000 BC, leading some researchers to doubt the accuracy of the thermoluminescence technique. Thermoluminescence dating of the Jinmium site in the Northern Territory suggested a date of 198,000 BC. Although this result received wide press coverage, it has been questioned by most archaeologists. Location of Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is a subregion of Asia. ... Thermoluminescence dating is the determination of the date at which materials were formed by measuring the light energy released when heating it. ... Radiocarbon dating is the use of the naturally occurring isotope of carbon-14 in radiometric dating to determine the age of organic materials, up to ca. ... Motto: None Nickname: ? Other Australian states and territories Capital Darwin Government Administrator Chief Minister Const. ...

The Aboriginal people lived through many climatic changes and adapted successfully to the different environments. There is much debate about the degree to which Aboriginal people modified their environment. One controversy revolves around the role of Aboriginal people in the extinction of the marsupial megafauna (also see Australian megafauna). Some argue that natural climate change killed the megafauna. Others claim that, because the megafauna were large and slow, they were easy prey for Aboriginal hunters. A third possibility is that Aboriginal modification of the environment, particularly through the use of fire, indirectly led to their extinction. Orders Superorder Ameridelphia Didelphimorphia Paucituberculata Superorder Australidelphia Microbiotheria Dasyuromorphia Peramelemorphia Notoryctemorphia Diprotodontia Family Thylacinidae (extinct) Marsupials are mammals in which the female typically has a pouch (called the marsupium, from which the name Marsupial derives) in which it rears its young through early infancy. ... Megafauna are the large animals of any particular region or time. ... Most of the Australian megafauna became extinct during the Pleistocene (20,000-50,000 years before present). ... Fire is a form of combustion. ...

It is well known that Aboriginal people used fire for a variety of purposes: to encourage the growth of edible plants and fodder for prey; to reduce the risk of catastrophic bushfires; to make travel easier; to eliminate pests; for ceremonial purposes; and just to "clean up country." There is disagreement, however, about the extent to which Aboriginal burning led to large-scale changes in vegetation patterns.

There is evidence of substantial change in Aboriginal culture over time. Rock painting at several locations in northern Australia has been shown to consist of a sequence of different styles linked to different historical periods. Harry Lourandos has been the leading proponent of the theory that a period of hunter-gatherer intensification occurred between 3000 and 1000 BC. Intensification involved an increase in human manipulation of the environment (for example, the construction of fish traps in Victoria), population growth, an increase in trade between groups, a more elaborate social structure, and other cultural changes. A shift in stone tool technology, involving the development of smaller and more intricate points and scrapers, occurred around this time. Cave, or rock, paintings are paintings painted on cave or rock walls and ceilings, usually dating to pre-historic times. ... Motto: Peace and Prosperity Nickname: Garden State Other Australian states and territories Capital Melbourne Government Governor Premier Const. ... Ancient stone tools A stone tool is, in the most general sense, any tool made of stone. ...

There were a great many different Aboriginal groups, each with their own individual culture, belief structure, and language (approximately 300 different languages existed at the time of European settlement). These cultures overlapped to a greater or lesser extent, and evolved over time.

Lifestyles varied a great deal. A general impression in white Australian and overseas society that Aboriginals are primarily desert-dwellers is in fact false: the regions of heaviest population were the same temperate coastal regions that are currently the most heavily populated. These coastal populations were quickly absorbed or forced off their land, however, so the traditional aspects of Aboriginal life survive most strongly in areas such as the Western Desert where European settlement has until recently been sparse. In all instances, technologies, diets and hunting practices varied according to the local environment. In present-day Victoria, for example, there were two separate communities with an economy based on fish-farming in complex and extensive irrigated pond systems; one on the Murray River in the state's north, the other in the south-west near Hamilton, which traded with other groups from as far away as the Melbourne area. Motto: Peace and Prosperity Other Australian states and territories Capital Melbourne Governor HE Mr John Landy Premier Steve Bracks (ALP) Area 237,629 km² (6th)  - Land 227,416 km²  - Water 10,213 km² (4. ... The Murray River is Australias second-longest river in its own right (the longest being its tributary the Darling). ... Hamilton is a town of 9000, three hours west of Melbourne. ... Melbourne is the capital and largest city of the state of Victoria, and the second largest city in Australia, with a population of 3,488,750 in the Melbourne metropolitan area (census 2001 [1]) and 52,117 in the City of Melbourne (which covers only the central city area). ...

British colonisation

In 1770, Captain James Cook took possession of the east coast of Australia and named it New South Wales in the name of Great Britain. The Aboriginal population was decimated by British colonisation which began in 1788, when news of the land's fertility spread to Europeans causing them to begin settling in the Aboriginal land. A combination of disease, loss of land (and thus food resources) and outright murder reduced the Aboriginal population by an estimated 90% during the 19th century and early 20th century. A wave of massacres and resistance followed the frontier. The last recorded massacre was at Coniston in the Northern Territory in 1928. Poisoning of food and water has been recorded on several different occasions. 1770 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... 1788 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the... Motto: None Nickname: ? Other Australian states and territories Capital Darwin Government Administrator Chief Minister Const. ... 1928 was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ...

The number of violent deaths at the hands of whites is still the subject of a vigorous and politically-loaded debate, with some figures—notably Prime Minister John Howard—rejecting what Howard terms "the black-armband" view of Australian history. Figures of around 10,000 deaths have been advanced by historians such as Henry Reynolds. Historian Keith Windschuttle claims such numbers are not backed up by documentary evidence, finding evidence existing only for a much smaller number. Reynolds attacks Windschuttle's interpretation of the existing evidence, points out that documented proof that Windschuttle requires is unlikely to be available, and questions Windschuttle's rejection of other forms of evidence such as oral history. John Winston Howard (born July 26, 1939), is an Australian politician and the 25th Prime Minister of Australia, coming to office on March 11, 1996 and winning re-election in 1998, 2001 and 2004. ... Henry Reynolds is an Australian historian. ... Keith Windschuttle (born 1942) is a right-wing Australian historian and journalist who is the author of several books, including The Killing of History (1994) and The Fabrication of Aboriginal History (2002) which disputes current historical views on Australian history. ...

Despite the prominence of the direct violence debate, loss of land was probably more significant as a killer, and there is no doubt that by far the major factor in the decline of Australia's Aboriginal population was disease.

In particular, chickenpox, smallpox, influenza, venereal diseases, and measles spread in waves throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. Aboriginal people had no understanding of European diseases, and very little of the genetic resistance that Europeans had evolved over the centuries. It is estimated that about 90% of the Aboriginal population decline was the result of disease spreading in advance of the European colonists. As always with infectious diseases, the worst-hit communities were the ones with the greatest population densities where disease could spread more readily. Entire communities in the moderately fertile southern part of the continent simply vanished without trace, often before European settlers arrived or recorded their existence. The large fish-farming economy in south-west Victoria, for example, was entirely unknown to science until the turn of the 21st century, when investigations by a team of archaeologists working with and guided by surviving members of a local Aboriginal community began to unearth the foundations of houses and rediscover the irrigation system. Chicken pox, also spelled chickenpox, is a common childhood disease caused by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV), also known as human herpes virus 3 (HHV-3), one of the eight herpesviruses known to affect humans. ... Smallpox (also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera) is a highly contagious disease unique to humans. ... Negatively stained flu virions. ... Sexually-transmitted infections (STIs), also known as sexually-transmitted diseases (STDs), are diseases that are commonly transmitted between partners through some form of sexual activity, most commonly vaginal intercourse, oral sex, or anal sex. ... (20th century - 21st century - 22nd century - other centuries) Decades: 2000s 2010s 2020s 2030s 2040s 2050s 2060s 2070s 2080s 2090s In calendars based on the Christian Era or Common Era, such as the Gregorian calendar, the 21st century is the current century, as of this writing. ...

In the arid centre of the continent, where small communities were spread over a vast area, the population decline was less marked, and Aboriginal communities were able to continue in an approximation of their traditional lifestyle for considerably longer—in many cases, until the late 19th century and in a few instances well into the 20th.

Nevertheless, European settlers gradually made their way into the interior, appropriating small but vital parts of the land for their own exclusive use (waterholes and soaks in particular), and introducing sheep, rabbits and cattle, all three of which ate out previously fertile areas and degraded the ability of the land to carry the native animals that were vital to Aboriginal economies.

In general, the first European colonisers were welcomed, or at least not opposed, but there were violent conflicts from time to time frequently culminating in murder. In the Northern Territory, both isolated Europeans (usually travellers) and visiting Japanese fishermen continued to be speared to death on a semi-regular basis until the start of the Second World War in 1939. It is known that some European settlers in the centre and north of the country shot Aboriginal people during this period. It is reasonable to presume that many more Aboriginal people died than Europeans, but such events were seldom recorded and the number of murders is a matter for speculation. Motto: None Nickname: ? Other Australian states and territories Capital Darwin Government Administrator Chief Minister Const. ... Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km (over 11 miles) into the air. ... 1939 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ...

The 20th century

Australian independence from Britain changed little in the relationship between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians. As the European pastoral industries developed, several economic changes came about. The appropriation of prime land and the spread of European livestock over vast areas made a traditional Aboriginal lifestyle less viable, but also provided a ready alternative supply of fresh meat for those prepared to risk taking advantage of it.

As large sheep and cattle stations came to dominate outback Australia, Aboriginal women, men and children became a significant source of labour (primarily as domestic servants or station-hands), sometimes on a voluntary basis, but often under conditions that amounted to virtual slavery. For European workers, life in the outback was harsh, dangerous and ill-paid, for Aboriginal workers it was usually worse yet. Most indigenous labour was unpaid, instead indigenous workers received rations in the form of food, clothing and other basic necessities. However many indigenous workers were never paid for their work. Thousands of Aboriginal workers across several generations lost an estimated $500 million because of the Queensland Government's negligence, through diverting withheld wages to raise government revenue, and through misuse of Trust monies. There has been a similar scandal in New South Wales, where 'stolen wages' have been estimated at between $64 and $80 million dollars. A monument celebrating the emancipation of slaves in the British Empire in 1834, erected in Victoria Tower Gardens, Millbank, Westminster, London Look up Slavery in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Slavery is a condition of control over a person against their will, enforced by violence or other forms of coercion. ...

(Several other northern industries, notably pearling, also employed Aboriginal workers.) For other things called pearl, see pearl (disambiguation). ...

During the first half of the 20th century, native welfare boards were established in the various states. These instituted a policy of separating children from their parents based upon racial stereotyping. Pale-skinned Aboriginal children were forcibly removed from their families, so that they could be brought up in a European manner. Aboriginal parents often darkened up their children to keep them. This aspect of Aboriginal history is also open to considerable debate. See Stolen Generation. Stolen Generation is the term commonly used to mean the Australian Aboriginal children who were removed from their families by Australian government agencies and church missions between approximately 1900 and 1972. ...

The Australian Constitution originally did not permit indigenous people to be counted in the census (except under the category, 'Flora and Fauna'), thereby effectively denying their right to vote. In 1967, a referendum was held to allow indigenous Australians to be counted in the census and to allow the Federal Government to make laws for the benefit of indigenous Australians. This referendum was successful with a huge majority (90.77%, the largest majority ever obtained by a referendum on any question in Australian history[1] (http://www.aph.gov.au/library/handbook/referendums/r1967.htm) [2] (http://www.naa.gov.au/fsheets/fs150.html)) favouring the constitutional amendments. The Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900 (in full, An Act to constitute the Commonwealth of Australia) is the primary constitutional text of the Commonwealth of Australia. ... 1967 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The referendum of the 27th May 1967 approved an amendment to the Australian constitution allowing the state greater freedom to legislate for the rights of Aborigines. ...

Recent history

Torres Strait Islander Flag

The Australian Aboriginal population is for the most part urbanised, but a substantial number live in settlements (often located on the site of former church missions) in what are often remote areas of rural Australia. The health and economic difficulties facing both groups are substantial (for instance, life expectancy of Aboriginal people is 20 years shorter than the wider Australian population. Aboriginal people, particularly youths, are substantially more likely to be imprisoned than the general population, and the rate of suicides in police custody remains quite high. Rates of unemployment, health problems and poverty are likewise higher than the general population; and school retention rate and university attendance is lower. The Torres Strait Islander flag, officially an Australian flag since July 14, 1995. ... The Torres Strait Islander flag, officially an Australian flag since July 14, 1995. ... A Mission station is a location for missionary work. ... A prison is a place in which people are confined and deprived of a range of liberties. ... Suicide (from Latin sui caedere, to kill oneself) is the act of intentionally ending ones own life; it is sometimes a noun for one who has committed, or attempted the act. ...

The Australian government has begun a process it calls "Reconciliation". Some notable former Prime Ministers, such as Bob Hawke and Malcolm Fraser have made many symbolic gestures and speeches in support of respect for Aboriginal culture. Many Aboriginal leaders such as Isabell Coe reject such moves, demanding actual sovereignty instead. A prime minister may be either: the chief or leading member of the cabinet of the top-level government in a country having a parliamentary system of government; or the official, in countries with a semi-presidential system of government, appointed to manage the civil service and execute the directives... Hon Bob Hawke Robert James Lee Hawke (born December 9, 1929), Australian trade union leader and politician, was the 23rd Prime Minister of Australia. ... Rt Hon Malcolm Fraser John Malcolm Fraser (born May 21, 1930), Australian politician and 22nd Prime Minister of Australia, came to power in the circumstances of the dismissal of the Whitlam government. ... Australian Aboriginal Sovereignty is a political movement amongst Australian aborigines in the 20th century, demanding control of parts of Australia by native peoples. ...

In 1972, the Aboriginal Tent Embassy was established on the steps of Parliament House in Canberra, the Australian capital. The continuous protest has remained in place for over thirty years to demand sovereignty for the Aboriginal peoples. 1972 was a leap year that started on a Saturday. ... Despite its rickety appearance, the Aboriginal Tent Embassy in Canberra has survived for over thirty years. ... Australia is a federation and a constitutional monarchy, with a written Constitution governing the relationship between the national government (usually referred to as the Commonwealth) and the states. ... Two of Canberras best-known landmarks, Parliament House and (foreground) Old Parliament House. ...

In 1992, the Australian High Court handed down its decision in the Mabo Case, declaring the previous legal concept of terra nullius to be invalid. This decision legally recognised the presence of indigenous Australians in Australia prior to British Settlement. Legislation was subsequently enacted and later amended to recognise Native Title claims over land in Australia. 1992 is a leap year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Eddie Mabo & Ors v The State of Queensland (No. ... Terra nullius is a Latin expression meaning empty land or no mans land. The term refers to a 17th century doctrine that described land that was unclaimed by a sovereign recognised by European authorities and land that was not owned at all. ... Native title is a concept in Australian law that recognises the continued ownership of land by local Australian Aborigines or Torres Strait Islanders. ...

In 1999 a referendum was held to change the Australian Constitution to include a preamble that, amongst other topics, recognised the occupation of Australia by indigenous Australians prior to British Settlement. This referendum was defeated by a huge majority, though the recognition of indigenous Australians in the preamble was not a major issue in the preamble referendum discussion, and the preamble question attracted secondary attention compared to the question of becoming a republic (see republicanism in Australia) for more details on the 1999 referendum). 1999 is a common year starting on Friday of the Common Era, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... Constitution Alteration (Preamble) 1999 proposed the addition of a preamble to the Australian constitution, recognizing the Aboriginal People as the traditional land owners before European settlement. ... Australian republicanism is a movement within Australia to replace the countrys existing status as a Commonwealth realm under a constitutional monarchy with a republican form of government. ...

Most recently, in 2004, the Australian Government has proceeded with plans to abolish The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC (http://atsic.gov.au)), which had been Australia's peak indigenous organisation. The Commonwealth cites corruption and in particular, has made allegations concerning the mis-use of public funds, as the principal reason. Indigeous specific programs are being reintegrated with mainstream services as are provided for all other Australians. 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) (1990–2004) was the Australian Government body through which aboriginal Australians were formally involved in the processes of government affecting their lives. ...

In June 2005, Richard Frankland, founder of the 'Your Voice' political party, in an open letter to Prime Minister John Howard, advocated that the eighteenth-century conflicts between indigenous and colonial Australians "be recognised as wars and be given the same attention as the other wars receive within the Australian War Memorial”. In its editorial on 20 June 2005 the Melbourne Age newspaper, said that “Frankland has raised an important question” and asks whether moving “work commemorating Aborigines who lost their lives defending their land … to the War Memorial [would] change the way we regard Aboriginal history”. A prime minister may be either: the chief or leading member of the cabinet of the top-level government in a country having a parliamentary system of government; or the official, in countries with a semi-presidential system of government, appointed to manage the civil service and execute the directives... John Winston Howard (born July 26, 1939), is an Australian politician and the 25th Prime Minister of Australia, coming to office on March 11, 1996 and winning re-election in 1998, 2001 and 2004. ... ANZAC Day Dawn Service at AWM, 25 April 2005, 90th anniversary The Australian War Memorial is Australias national memorial to the members of all its armed forces and supporting organizations who have died in the wars of the modern state of Australia. ... Categories: Australian newspapers | Newspaper stubs ...

Prominent Aboriginal Australians

Note: some Aboriginal cultures consider the mentioning of deceased persons, whether in name or in image, to be taboo. In such cases there may be a special word word such as 'Kumantjayi' (pronounced KU-MENT-JAY', used by the Warlpiri) which will be used to refer to the deceased instead of their name. It is common for Australian media to give warnings prior to mentioning deceased Aboriginal persons. This page deals with the cessation of life. ... A taboo is a strong social prohibition (or ban) relating to any area of human activity or social custom declared as sacred and forbidden; breaking of the taboo is usually considered objectionable or abhorrent by society. ... The Warlpiri are an indigenous Australian (or Aboriginal) ethnic group, many of whom speak a language also called Warlpiri. ...

• Politics and Public Service
  • Neville Bonner -- senator
  • Lowitja O'Donoghue
  • Pat O'Shane -- magistrate
  • Charles Perkins
  • Aden Ridgeway -- senator
  • Galarrwuy Yunupingu
  • Mandawuy Yunupingu
  • Ken Hampton -- Counselor/Activist
  • Richard Frankland - singer/songwriter, film-maker, political activist

• Sports
  • Arthur Beetson -- Rugby League
  • Cathy Freeman -- athletics
  • Evonne Goolagong -- tennis
  • Anthony Mundine -- boxing
  • Nova Peris-Kneebone -- athletics
  • Lionel Rose -- boxing
  • Dave Sands -- boxing

• Arts (see also List of Australian Aboriginal musicians)
  • Bronwyn Bancroft
  • Harold Blair
  • Ernie Dingo
  • David Gulpilil -- actor
  • Albert Namatjira -- artist
  • Deborah Mailman -- actor
  • Sally Morgan
  • Oodgeroo Noonuccal (Kath Walker)
  • David Ngoombujarra -- actor
  • Archie Roach -- musician
  • Gordon Bennett -- artist
  • Kunyi June Anne McInerney -- artist

• Religion
  • David Unaipon -- preacher; also inventor and writer

• Historical
  • Bennelong
  • Pemulwuy -- Member of the Eora people (Botany Bay) area
  • Tommy Windich -- Western Australian explorer
  • Yagan -- Western Australian leader in 1830s

See also the Indigenous peoples of Australia category Neville Bonner Neville Bonner (28 March 1922 - 5 February 1999), Australian politician, was the first Aboriginal person to be elected to the Parliament of Australia. ... Australian Senate chamber The Australian Senate is the upper of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia. ... Lowitja (Lois) ODonoghue (born 1932 in South Australia) is an Aboriginal woman who was formerly the head of ATSIC (the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission). ... A magistrate is a judicial officer with limited authority to administer and enforce the law. ... Charles Nelson Perkins (born June 16, 1936 in Alice Springs, died October 19, 2000) was an Australian Aboriginal activist. ... Aden Ridgeway Aden Derek Ridgeway (born 18 September 1962) is an Australian Democrat politician. ... Australian Senate chamber The Australian Senate is the upper of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia. ... Galarrwuy Yunupingu (1948-) is a leader in the Australian Indigenous community, he has been involved in the fight for Land Rights throughout his career. ... Mandawuy Yunupingu is the lead singer and most prominent personality of the Aboriginal band Yothu Yindi. ... Categories: Possible copyright violations ... Arthur Henry Beetson born 22 January 1945 in Roma, Queensland, was a leading Rugby League player for Queensland and Australia from 1964 to 1981. ... Rugby league is a team sport, played by teams of 13 players per side (usually plus 4 substitutes). ... Catherine Astrid Salome Freeman (born February 16, 1973) is an Australian athlete. ... Athletics, also known as track and field or track and field athletics, is a collection of sport events. ... Evonne Fay Goolagong Cawley, born July 31, 1951 at Griffith, New South Wales, Australia, was a professional tennis player. ... Tennis balls This article is about the sport, tennis. ... Anthony The Man Mundine is a boxer and former Australian Rugby League player. ... 2004 Armed Forces Amateur Boxing Championships, held in 2003. ... Categories: Wikipedia cleanup | Stub ... Athletics, also known as track and field or track and field athletics, is a collection of sport events. ... Lionel Rose (born June 21, 1948) is an Australian boxer who became the first aborigine in boxing history to win a world title. ... 2004 Armed Forces Amateur Boxing Championships, held in 2003. ... Dave Sands, born David Ritchie, (February 4, 1926-August 11, 1952) was an Australian Aborigine boxer, he was a member of the Dunghutti tribe. ... 2004 Armed Forces Amateur Boxing Championships, held in 2003. ... This is a list of Australian Aboriginal musicians. ... Harold Blair (1924-1976) was an Australian singer and Aboriginal activist. ... Ernie Dingo (born 31 July 1956) is an Aboriginal Australian actor and television personality. ... David Gulpilil (b. ... Actors in period costume sharing a joke whilst waiting between takes during location filming. ... Albert Namatjira (28 July 1902 – 1959), born Elea Namatjira is an Australian Aborigine artist of the Arrernte (Aranda) tribe. ... An artist is someone who employs creative talent to produce works of art. ... Deborah Mailman (born 1973), Australian actor, was the first indigenous Australian actor to win the AFI Best Actress Award and played the character Kelly on successful Australian television series, The Secret Life of Us. ... Actors in period costume sharing a joke whilst waiting between takes during location filming. ... Sally Jane Morgan (née Milroy, born 18 January 1951 in Perth, Western Australia) is an Australian Aborigine author, scriptwriter and artist. ... Oodgeroo Noonuccal (Kath Walker) (November 3, 1920 - September 16, 1993) was an Australian poet, actress, writer, teacher, artist and a campaigner for Aboriginal rights. ... Actors in period costume sharing a joke whilst waiting between takes during location filming. ... Archie Roach (born 1956, Mooroopna, Victoria) is an Australian musician. ... A musician is a person who plays or composes music. ... An artist is someone who employs creative talent to produce works of art. ... An artist is someone who employs creative talent to produce works of art. ... David Unaipon (born 28th September 1872, Point Macleay (Raukkan) Mission; died 7th February 1967, ) was an Australian Aboriginal preacher, inventor and writer. ... Bennelong was a senior man of the Eora, a Koori, (Aboriginal) people of the Port Jackson area, at the time of the first British settlement in Australia, in 1788. ... Pemulwuy (born about 1760, died 1802) was an Australian Aboriginal who came to public attention in 1790 when he was accused of the Cooks River killing of Governor Philips gamekeeper John Macentire. ... The Eora (sometimes spelt Iora or Iyora) people were the aboriginal occupants of the Sydney region in 1788 when the first European colonists arrived. ... Tommy Windich (c. ... Portrait of Yagan, from Dale (1834)1 Yagan (c. ... Events and Trends Electromagnetic induction discovered by Michael Faraday Dutch-speaking farmers known as Voortrekkers emigrate northwards from the Cape Colony Croquet invented in Ireland Railroad construction begins in earnest in the United States Egba refugees fleeing the Yoruba civil wars found the city of Abeokuta in south-west Nigeria...

A note on nomenclature

Most Aboriginal people had no name for themselves as a people before their encounter with Europeans in the 18th century, as only a few on the northern coast had ever encountered outsiders. The word aboriginal, in use in English since the 17th century to mean "first or earliest known, indigenous", was used in Australia as early as 1789; it was soon capitalised and became the standard name for indigenous Australians. Indigenous peoples are: Peoples living in an area prior to colonization by a state Peoples living in an area within a nation-state, prior to the formation of a nation-state, but who do not identify with the dominant nation. ... 1789 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ...

Strictly speaking Aboriginal is an adjective and Aborigine is a noun. Some indigenous Australians consider the term "Aborigines" derogatory as it stems from Australia's colonial history which was borderline genocide. If you want to know what an Indigenous Australian wants to call themself the best way to find out is to ask them. Note that the once-common abbreviation Abo is highly offensive. Today the preferred usages are Aboriginal People (as in "This is what Aboriginal people want") or Indigenous Australians (which also includes Torres Strait Islanders). Torres Strait Islanders are the indigenous people of the Torres Strait Islands, part of Queensland, Australia. ...

A generally acceptable indigenous name for most of the Aboriginal people in New South Wales and Victoria is Koori (or Koorie). Aboriginal groups in other parts of Australia have their own names, such as Murri in southern Queensland, Noongar in southern Western Australia, Nunga in southern South Australia, Anangu in northern South Australia, and neighbouring parts of Western Australia and Northern Territory and Palawah (or Pallawah) in Tasmania. These names are an indicator of location. For example, Anangu, meaning a person from Australia's central desert area, is a member of one of these Indigenous groups: Yankunytjatjara, Pitjantjatjara, Ngaanyatjara, Luritja or Antikirinya. Motto: Orta Recens Quam Pura Nites (Newly Risen, How Brightly You Shine) Nickname: Premier State Other Australian states and territories Capital Sydney Government Governor Premier Const. ... Motto: Peace and Prosperity Nickname: Garden State Other Australian states and territories Capital Melbourne Government Governor Premier Const. ... Australian Aborigines are the indigenous peoples of Australia. ... Murri is a politically correct term applied generally to indigenous Australians in Queensland in particular, but also sometimes elsewhere. ... Motto: Audax at Fidelis (Bold but Faithful) Nickname: Sunshine State/Smart State Other Australian states and territories Capital Brisbane Government Governor Premier Const. ... Australian aboriginal flag The Noongar (alternate spellings: Nyungar /Nyoongar)[1], are an Australian Aboriginal people who live in the south west corner of Western Australia from Geraldton on the west coast to Esperance on the south coast. ... Motto: Cygnis Insignis (Distinguished by its swans) Nickname: Wildflower State Other Australian states and territories Capital Perth Government Governor Premier Const. ... Motto: United for the Common Wealth Nickname: Festival State Other Australian states and territories Capital Adelaide Government Governor Premier Const. ... Anangu is a word that means people in a number of Australian Aboriginal languages, including, but not limited to: Arrente Western Arrente Eastern Arrente Central Arrente Pitjantjatjara Ngaanyatjarra Yankunytjatjara Pitjantjatjara, Yankunytjatjara and Ngaanyatjara refer to themselves as Anangu, which originally just meant people in general, but has now come to... Motto: None Nickname: ? Other Australian states and territories Capital Darwin Government Administrator Chief Minister Const. ...

See also

• List of Australian Aboriginal tribes
• Australian Aboriginal music
• Torres Strait Islander
• Australian Aboriginal art
• The Dreamtime (Australian Aboriginal mythology)
• Roderick Flanagan The Aboriginals of Australia (First text on Australian Aborigines 1888)

Alternative names and component tribes are in parentheses after the main appellation. ... Australian Aborigines are the native peoples of Australia. ... Torres Strait Islanders are the indigenous people of the Torres Strait Islands, part of Queensland, Australia. ... Australian Aboriginal art refers to art done by Australian Aborigines, covering art that pre-dates European colonisation as well as contemporary art by Aborigines based on traditional culture. ... The raindow serpent, the Waugal The Dreamtime, also called The Dreaming, is the central, unifying theme in Aboriginal culture. ... The Aborigines of Australia have a polytheistic, animistic religion. ... Roderick Flanagan (1 April 1828 – 13 March 1862) was an Australian historian, anthropologist, poet, newspaper proprietor and journalist. ...

External links

Listed alphabetically:

• ABC News Online - Indigenous section (http://abc.net.au/news/indigenous/default.htm)
• Aboriginal Links International - Australian Links (http://www.bloorstreet.com/300block/aborintl.htm#4)
• Aboriginal Studies WWW Virtual Library (http://www.ciolek.com/WWWVL-Aboriginal.html)
• Australian Aboriginal Didgeridoo (http://www.ididj.com.au)
• Bibliography for Aboriginal Studies (http://www.synaptic.bc.ca/ejournal/bib-abn.htm)
• Indigenous Australia - Australian Museum educational site (http://www.dreamtime.net.au/index.cfm)
• KooriWeb (http://kooriweb.org)
• Norman B. Tindal's Catalogue of Aboriginal Tribes (http://www.samuseum.sa.gov.au/tindale/HDMS/tindaletribes/about.htm)