From Colonizers to Stakeholders: Exploring the Role of the White Population in

Addressing Aboriginal Discrimination in Australia

Nadhia Putri Nauli – 10020221058

The beginning of arrival of white settlers in Australia began with the arrival of
European ships such as the cruiser James Cook in 1770. Arthur Philip, who was governor of
England at the time, led the convicts to establish a new colony and became the beginning of
the migration of Aboriginal and other tribes in Australia.1 They declared the territory part of
the British Empire. Aboriginal Australians lived on the Australian continent for more than
65,000 years before British colonial settlers arrived in 1788. Based on NG Butlin's estimates,
at the beginning of the arrival of the British to the Australian continent, there were between 1
- 1.5 million indigenous people. However, in 1901, it was recorded that the number of
Aboriginal people left was less than 100,000. This large reduction in Australia's Aboriginal
population was due to the official policy of genocide pursued by British colonists by spreading
disease, resource withdrawal, and murder.2 English settlers and their descendants took over
native lands and eliminated indigenous people by cutting off their food sources, as well as
engaging in genocidal massacres.
Basically, at the beginning of the occupation the British Colonial Government
implemented policies solely to reduce the resistance of Aboriginal people.3 People of color are
still ethnocentric rather than racist. At that time, most of them recognized their cultural
superiority over the culture of the Aboriginal people. Even so, white people still believed that
Aboriginal people could become like them if given the opportunity to absorb European culture.
However, as more white immigrants came to Australia, the idea of racism against Aboriginal
people intensified.4

Racist immigrants thought that indigenous Australians, Aboriginal people, would not
be equal to white people. This racist thinking is based on the concept of savage which states
that Aboriginal people are a group of humans who have not had centuries. Whites assumed
Aboriginal people to be wild, dirty, capricious, low intelligence, deceitful, ruthless and
aggressive. Then there was a strengthening of the concept with the theory of the Great Chain

1
"Dynamics of Aboriginal Race Conflict in Australia and Forms of Rights Violations Against Aboriginal
Races." n.d. Accessed July 2, 2023.
2
Jalata, Asaf. 2013. "The Impact of British Colonial Terrorism and Genocide on Indigenous/Black Australians."
3
Fitriani, Amalia. n.d. “Penerapan Kebijakan Asimilasi Terhadap Anak-Anak Aborigin "Half-Caste" di
Australia,” Thesis. Universitas Indonesia. Accessed July 4, 2023.
4
Broome, Richard. 1982. Aboriginal Australians: black response to white dominance, 1788-1980. N.p.: Allen &
Unwin.
of Being which placed Aboriginal people at the bottom of the chain of human life, equivalent
to Negroes who were considered to have blood relations with African apes.5 As a result, white
people looked down on Aboriginal people and treated them like animals such as dingoes. In
the end, Aboriginal people were subjected to cruel treatment and subjected to attacks by white
people. They were shot, the springs they had were poisoned and even their flour was infused
with arsenic.

Aboriginal people have suffered in their homeland for centuries and even today there
are still frequent acts of discrimination against Aboriginal people in Australia. Despite the
suffering, there are many Aboriginal movements in upholding and defending their right to life,
such as the 1963 Yirrkala Agreement which became the starting point in the modern movement
to stop discrimination against Aboriginal people, the establishment of the Western Australian
Aboriginal Land Council (WAALC) to help Aboriginal people obtain their customary land
rights and improve their living conditions, and the establishment of the Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) as a government body to represent Aboriginal people in
policy and decision-making relating to their rights.

The white population, which has historically dominated the Australian government, still
wields more power in the Australian government than the original population. However, there
is now a normalisation of relations between white people and Aboriginal people. White people
as dominant policymakers began to formulate policies to stop discrimination and provide
decent services for Aboriginal people. Even some Aboriginal members are given the
opportunity to gain political positions and there are also political parties founded and led by
Aboriginal people to advocate for their interests.

It can be concluded that the arrival of colonists in Australia in the late 18th century led
to the displacement of Aboriginal people and various sufferings that included policies of
genocide, systemic discrimination, and massacres. However, in the contemporary era
Aboriginal people began to launch various movements to fight for their right to life and fight
for their customary land. The white population as the dominant powerholder also began to
overcome discrimination and provide decent services for Aboriginal people. In 2008,
Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd formally apologised to Aboriginal people for the
previous government's policies that caused them suffering and harm.

5
Fitriani, Amalia. n.d. “Penerapan Kebijakan Asimilasi Terhadap Anak-Anak Aborigin "Half-Caste" di
Australia,” Thesis. Universitas Indonesia. p. 3. Accessed July 4, 2023.
References
Broome, Richard. 1982. Aboriginal Australians: black response to white dominance, 1788-
1980. N.p.: Allen & Unwin.
“Dinamika Konflik Ras Aborigin di Australia Serta Bentuk-Bentuk Pelanggaran Hak
Terhadap Ras Aborigin.” n.d. Accessed July 2, 2023.
http://repository.umy.ac.id/bitstream/handle/123456789/32785/BAB%20III.pdf?seque
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Fitriani, Amalia. n.d. “Penerapan Kebijakan Asimilasi Terhadap Anak-Anak Aborigin "Half-
Caste" di Australia,” Thesis. Universitas Indonesia. Accessed July 4, 2023.
https://lib.ui.ac.id/file?file=digital/20161083-RB04A261p-
Penerapan%20kebijakan.pdf.
Jalata, Asaf. 2013. “The Impacts of English Colonial Terrorism and Genocide on
Indigenous/Black Australians.” / / - Wiktionary.
http://sgo.sagepub.com/content/spsgo/3/3/2158244013499143.full.pdf.
Zuliani Putri, M. Reza Pahlevi. 2022. “Masuknya Inggris ke Australia dan Dampaknya Bagi
Suku Aborigin.” Jurnal UM Palembang 2 (2): 97-100.