Life of the Australian Aboriginals. Aborigines of Australia. Indigenous people of Australia: how the oldest civilization fell

People like to reproach Russia for having seized vast territories and call it a “prison of nations.” However, if Russia is a “prison of nations,” then the Western world can rightfully be called a “cemetery of nations.” After all, Western colonialists slaughtered and destroyed hundreds of large and small nations, tribes all over the world, from Europe itself to America, Australia and New Zealand.

In 1770, the British expedition of James Cook on the ship Endeavor explored and mapped the east coast of Australia. In January 1788, Captain Arthur Phillip founded the settlement of Sidney Cove, which later became the city of Sidney. This event marked the beginning of the colony of New South Wales, and the day of Philip's landing (January 26) is celebrated as a national holiday - Australia Day. Although Australia itself was originally called New Holland.

The First Fleet, the name given to the fleet of 11 sailing ships that sailed from the shores of Britain to establish the first European colony in New South Wales, brought mostly convicts. This fleet marked the beginning of both the transport of prisoners from England to Australia and the development and settlement of Australia. As the English historian Piers Brandon noted: “Initially some effort was made to select for transportation convicts who possessed skills in the various branches of English manufacturing. But this idea was abandoned due to the number of convicts. There were so many wretched and destitute members of the human race held behind bars on the Thames that they threatened to turn the rotting prison buildings into plague barracks, both figuratively and literally. Most of the convicts sent with the First Flotilla were young workers who had committed petty crimes (usually theft). Some are from the category of “hillbillies” and an even smaller number of “city dwellers” ... ".

It is worth noting that British convicts were not inveterate murderers; such people were immediately executed in England, without further ado. Thus, those guilty of theft were hanged from the age of 12. In England, for a long time, even vagrants who were recaptured were executed. And after this, the Western press loves to recall the real and imagined crimes of Ivan the Terrible, the Pale of Settlement in Russian Empire and Stalin's Gulag.

It is clear that such a contingent had to be managed by the appropriate person. Australia's first governor, Arthur Philip, was considered "a benevolent and generous man". He proposed handing over everyone who was considered guilty of murder and sodomy to the New Zealand cannibals: “And let them eat him.”

Thus, the Australian aborigines were “lucky”. Their neighbors were mainly British criminals, whom the Old World decided to get rid of. Moreover, they were mostly young men without a corresponding number of women.

It must be said that the British authorities sent prisoners not only to Australia. To relieve prison congestion and earn hard cash (every person was worth money), the British sent convicts to the colonies of North America. Now the image of a black slave has taken root in the mass consciousness, but there were also many white slaves - criminals, rebels, those who were unlucky, for example, they fell into the hands of pirates. Planters paid well for delivery work force: £10 to £25 per person, depending on qualifications and physical fitness. Thousands of white slaves were shipped from England, Scotland and Ireland.

In 1801, French ships under the command of Admiral Nicolas Baudin explored the southern and western parts of Australia. After which the British decided to declare their formal ownership of Tasmania and began to develop new settlements in Australia. Settlements grew on the eastern and southern coasts of the mainland. They then became the cities of Newcastle, Port Macquarie and Melbourne. The English traveler John Oxley explored the north-eastern part of Australia in 1822, as a result of which a new settlement appeared in the Brisbane River area. The governor of New South Wales in 1826 created the settlement of Western Port on the south coast of Australia and sent Major Lockyear to King George's Sound in the southwestern part of the mainland, where he founded a settlement that was later called Albany and announced the extension of the British king's power to the whole continent. The English settlement of Port Essington was founded at the extreme northern point of the continent.

Almost the entire population of the new English settlement in Australia consisted of exiles. Their transportation from England became more and more active every year. From the founding of the colony until the mid-19th century, 130-160 thousand convicts were transported to Australia. New lands were actively developed.

Where did the indigenous people of Australia and Tasmania go? By 1788, the indigenous population of Australia ranged from 300 thousand to 1 million people, united in more than 500 tribes. To begin with, the British infected the Aborigines with smallpox, from which they had no immunity. Smallpox killed at least half of the tribes that came into contact with the newcomers in the Sydney area. In Tasmania, diseases brought by Europeans also had the most devastating effect on the indigenous population. Sexually transmitted diseases rendered many women infertile, and pulmonary diseases such as pneumonia and tuberculosis, for which Tasmanians had no immunity, killed many adult Tasmanians.

The “civilized” aliens immediately began to turn the local aborigines into slaves, forcing them to work on their farms. Aboriginal women were bought or kidnapped, and the practice of kidnapping children with the aim of turning them into servants—in fact, into slaves—developed.

In addition, the British brought with them rabbits, sheep, foxes, and other animals that disrupted the biocenosis of Australia. As a result, the Australian aborigines were brought to the brink of starvation. The natural world of Australia was very different from other biocenoses, since the mainland was isolated from other continents for a very long time. Most of the species were herbivores. The main occupation of the aborigines was hunting, and the main object of hunting was herbivores. Sheep and rabbits multiplied and began to destroy the grass cover, many Australian species became extinct or were on the verge of extinction. In response, the Aborigines began to try to hunt sheep. This served as a pretext for the mass “hunting” of the natives by whites.

And then the same thing happened to the aborigines of Australia as to the Indians of North America. Only the Indians, for the most part, were more developed and warlike, offering more serious resistance to the aliens. The Australian aborigines were unable to provide serious resistance. Australian and Tasmanian Aborigines were raided, poisoned, driven into the desert, where they died of hunger and thirst. White settlers gave poisoned food to the Aborigines. White settlers hunted the Aborigines as wild animals, not considering them human. The remnants of the local population were driven into reservations in the western and northern regions of the mainland, the least suitable for life. In 1921, there were already only about 60 thousand aborigines.

In 1804, English settlers and colonial troops began the “Black War” against the Aborigines of Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land). The natives were constantly hunted, tracked down like animals. By 1835, the local population was completely eliminated. The last surviving Tasmanians (about 200 people) were resettled on Flinders Island in Bass Strait. One of the last purebred Tasmanians, Truganini, died in 1876.

«Ниггеров» в Австралии не считали за людей. The settlers poisoned the aborigines with a clear conscience. В Квинсленде (Северная Австралия) в конце XIX века невинной забавой считалось загнать семью «ниггеров» в воду с крокодилами. During his stay in North Queensland in 1880-1884. Norwegian Karl Lumholz noted such statements local residents: “You can only shoot blacks; you can’t communicate with them any other way.” One of the settlers noted that it was “cruel... but... necessary principle" He himself shot all the men he met in his pastures, “because they are slaughterers, women - because they give birth to slaughterers, and children - because they will be slaughterers. They don’t want to work and therefore are good for nothing but getting shot.”

Trade in native women flourished among English farmers. They were purposefully hunted. A government report from 1900 noted that “these women were passed from farmer to farmer” until they were “eventually thrown out as garbage, left to rot from venereal disease.”

One of the last documented massacres of Aboriginal people in the North West occurred in 1928. The crime was witnessed by a missionary who wanted to understand the grievances of the Aboriginal people. He followed a police party into the Forest River Aboriginal reserve and saw the police capture an entire tribe. The prisoners were chained, neck to neck, and then all but three women were killed. After this, they burned the bodies and took the women with them to the camp. Before leaving the camp, they killed and burned these women too. The evidence collected by the missionary led the authorities to launch an investigation. However, the police responsible for the massacre were never brought to justice.

Thanks to such methods, the British destroyed, according to various estimates, up to 90-95% of all aborigines in Australia.

The Australian Aborigines are considered to be perhaps the oldest living civilization on Earth. And at the same time, one of the most little-studied and understood. The English colonists who arrived in “Australia” (then called “New Holland”) in 1788 called its indigenous inhabitants “aboriginals,” borrowing this term from Latin: “ab origine” - “from the beginning.”

It has not yet been established exactly, and it is unlikely that it will ever be established exactly, exactly when and how the ancestors of modern aborigines got to this continent. But it is generally accepted that the indigenous people of Australia came here across the sea approximately 50,000 years ago from what is now Indonesia.

Before the arrival of Europeans in Australia, the Aborigines lived throughout Australia and numbered about 250 peoples with their own languages (which do not belong to any other language group), most of which are now “extinct”. The Aborigines led a primitive lifestyle (picked fruits, hunted birds and animals, fished, burned fires and lived in forests, deserts, savannas) for thousands of years until recently. At the same time, it cannot be said unequivocally that the Australian Aborigines were primitive people, since they had a kind of religion (beliefs, mythology of the “Dream Time”, ceremonies, traditions, initiations) and maintained their own cultural heritage (Aboriginal music, dances, rock paintings , petroglyphs). The Australian aborigines had certain concepts about astronomy, although the interpretation and names of stars and constellations did not at all coincide with European astronomy.

The most striking thing, perhaps, is how far the “progress” of aboriginal civilization lagged behind the European one, being located at a considerable distance from Europe and in special climatic conditions. This difference dates back perhaps tens of thousands of years. Some tribes maintained this way of life until the early 20th century on the remote islands of northern Australia, continuing to live in solitude with nature.

With the arrival of Europeans, the life and future of the Australian Aborigines changed radically and irrevocably. In 1788, a dark streak began in the history of the original inhabitants of Australia. Most of the indigenous people of Australia initially greeted the newcomers from Europe peacefully and with interest, although some tribes greeted the colonists with hostility. During the first 2-3 years, about half (and in some cases more) of all Australian Aboriginals who had contact with European newcomers died out from diseases and viruses unknown to them (introduced by Europeans), from which the indigenous inhabitants of Australia had no immunity. The most common diseases that killed the Aborigines were smallpox and measles.

In addition, the colonists killed the Aborigines, drove them from their ancestral lands, abused them, raped their women, poisoned them, forcibly resettled them, and forcibly took away their children. The government policy of forcibly removing children from Aboriginal families under the title “Assimilation of Indigenous Peoples of Australia” continued until 1970 (and in some places longer). These Aboriginal children, deprived of their own parents, are now called the "Stolen Generation". For much of the 20th century, Aboriginal Australians didn't even have citizenship until 1967.

Nowadays the situation has begun to change better side. Since 1998, 26 May in Australia has been celebrated as "Day of Regret" (or "Day of Asking Forgiveness") to the Australian Aborigines for all that they have had to endure and endure since January 26, 1788, when the English captain Arthur Philip founded the first British colony in Australia. For a long time The Australian government has refused to make a public apology to Aboriginal people for the injustices, genocide and deliberate policies to eradicate the Aboriginal race that were carried out during the 19th and 20th centuries. However, on 13 February 2008, Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd made his first public apology to all Aboriginal Australians on behalf of the Australian Parliament. This was an important step in the "reconciliation" of the Aborigines with the rest of the Australian population. Although this apology was made in English and not translated into any of the Aboriginal languages, which a priori can be considered an injustice and humiliation of the Aboriginal people. Now the aborigines do not like to remember and talk about the topic of the “Stolen Generation”, which is “sick” for them.

Today, Aboriginal people live throughout Australia, although they are rarely seen in large cities. Most Aboriginal people now speak English and live in the central and northern territories of Australia. Alcohol and drug abuse is common among Aboriginal people, they have higher mortality and crime rates and very high unemployment rates, which again is partly “stimulated” by the state.

At the same time, there are outstanding personalities among the Australian aborigines: famous athletes, talented musicians, scientists, businessmen and politicians. Unfortunately, there are few of them. Usually the aborigines themselves prefer not to be called “aboriginals”, since they all belong to different nationalities (tribes) and do not like to be generalized by this term.

Where to see Aboriginal people in Australia? How to see Australian Aborigines? Where do Aboriginal people live in Australia?

Most Aboriginal Australians today live in the eastern and northern territories of Australia (New South Wales and Queensland), although they can be found in almost any city. The estimated number of Aboriginal people is about 520,000 people, i.e. 2.5% of Australia's population. Almost every city in Australia has an “Aboriginal culture center” where you can come into contact with this culture, and sometimes even meet an Aboriginal person.

In order not just to “look” at the Aborigines, but to learn more about them, understand them, and at least get a little acquainted with their culture, knowledge and history, I suggest you come to Australia and visit one (or perhaps more than one) of our individual excursions.

On our excursions, a Russian-speaking guide will tell you in detail about the past and present life of the Aborigines in Australia, about their mythology and knowledge, about their problems and culture. We know different places where we can show you real Australian Aborigines. On some of our excursions you will be able to see Aboriginal dances, hear music performed by Aboriginal people on traditional Aboriginal instruments (see Digiridoo), watch them throw boomerangs and spears while hunting, and just chat with real Australian Aboriginal people. Our Russian guides in Australia also know places where you can see authentic ancient Aboriginal rock paintings and petroglyphs (from 2000 to 20,000 years old), grindstones and firestones (not in a museum!), Aboriginal caves and ceremonial sites used by Aboriginal people for thousands of years.

You can see all this with your own eyes with me or our Russian-speaking guides in Australia and learn more about the aborigines of Australia.

Our excursions in Australia, where you can see real Aborigines, talk to them or see traces of their life (drawings, footprints, petroglyphs, Aboriginal places, caves):

Sydney:

Excursion with a Russian guide to the North from Sydney to the Cooring Chase National Park - S5
Sightseeing tour of Sydney with a private Russian guide in an individual car - S2 (full day)
Blue Mountains and Australian Animal Park - tour with Russian guide - S4
Travel to the capital of Australia - Canberra - tour with a Russian guide - S9

Melbourne:

Full-day sightseeing tour with a Russian guide to the sights of Melbourne - M2
Tour package of excursions from Melbourne with a Russian-speaking guide for 4 days -TPM4-5-8-2012

Cairns:

Excursion to Kuranda by cable car with a Russian-speaking guide - CR07
Excursion from Cairns with a Russian guide to Australian wildlife and the tropical Tablelands full day - 10 hours - CR08
Multi-day Tour Package 3 days/2 nights with excursions and accommodation from Cairns with Russian speaking guide - TPCR01

Australian Aboriginal culture

Music

From time immemorial, Australian Aborigines have been able to make musical instruments. The most famous of them is the Digiridu - a pipe 1 to 2 meters long from a branch or trunk of a eucalyptus tree, eaten through the center by termites. It is very difficult to learn to play it: it requires a lot of practice and you need strong lungs. Good Aboriginal Digiridoo players can play it continuously for an hour (without stopping or pausing). When playing the Digirudu, the performer often diversifies the playing with guttural sounds or tongue to give an additional effect and imitates the sounds of animals and birds, because kookaburra (laughing kookaburra).

Dancing

Aborigines often imitate various indigenous animals of Australia in their dances, because... kangaroo, wallaby, emu, snake, imitating their gait and movements.

Many dances are similar to each other and are accompanied by playing the digiridoo and percussion sticks. Some dances are used by Aboriginal people only for certain purposes or times of the year, and there are ritual dances.

Aboriginal rock art and petroglyphs

There are approximately 50,000 sites throughout Australia where traces of Aboriginal art have been found (rock paintings or petroglyphs carved into stone, or hand and fingerprints made using ocher - dried ground clay with sandstone). However, in order to avoid vandalism, most of these places are kept secret and are not accessible to non-specialists. There are some places where you can still see Aboriginal rock art.

In order to see these drawings or petroglyphs and get acquainted with Aboriginal culture, we invite you to our Russian-language excursions with Russian guides in Australia. We know these places and are ready to show them to you on our excursions in Sydney, Melbourne and Cairns.

Boomerangs, shields and spears

Australian aborigines invented a unique type of weapon - the boomerang. The word boomerang comes from the Aboriginal word "Womurrang" or "Bowmarrang", which means "returning throwing stick" in the Aboriginal language of the Turuwal tribe. Boomerangs were mainly used for hunting birds, but were also used as weapons in conflicts with other tribes or for hunting large animals. In order for the boomerang to return, you must have skills: be able to throw it at a certain angle, hold it correctly, release it in time and take into account the wind. Also, a proper boomerang should have some cuts on its limbs, without which it will not be able to return.

The Aborigines also used a variety of throwing spears for hunting and conflict, and some can throw spears up to 100 meters to accurately hit a target the size of a coconut.

Shields were mostly narrow and were used for ceremonial purposes and dances, but could also be used to protect against attacks from other tribes.

If you want to see how to throw a boomerang or spear correctly, try to throw a boomerang yourself and get to know the Aboriginal culture better, we invite you to our Russian-language excursions with Russian guides in Sydney, Melbourne and Cairns.

Australian Aborigines are a very mysterious people. Inhabiting a highly civilized country with a developed infrastructure and existing side by side with modern citizens, these people continue to remain original and preserve their ancient, almost primitive culture. Many surprising facts testify to the uniqueness of the indigenous population of Australia.

1.The wildest of all people

The Aborigines have inhabited Australia for about 50 thousand years, and for 40 thousand of them the life of these tribes remained unchanged. It is believed that this is the most backward of all nationalities in the world, and, by the way, there are almost half a million such ancient, wild people on the mainland.

In the central part of the continent there is a desert area where the aborigines live as in ancient times - without television, cell phones and other benefits of civilization. Since there are no schools here, children are taught by radio. The population performs ancient rituals, and their main activity, as 50 thousand years ago, remains hunting and gathering plants and roots. If necessary, these natives can even eat an insect larva or caterpillar. Almost one fifth of all Australian Aborigines live here.

However, among the indigenous population there are those who have achieved great success and world recognition. These are, for example, the artist Albert Namatjira, the writer and journalist David Unaipon, the Olympic champion in athletics Katie Freeman.

2.They are discriminated against

The indigenous population was legally given equal rights to ordinary citizens of the country only in 1967, and before that they were considered second-class citizens on the continent.

Now they have their own schools and their own flag. However, during modern sociological surveys, Aboriginal people admit that they still feel disdainful attitude from “white” citizens.

Children attending regular schools, also claim to be discriminated against. Although indigenous Australians are gentle by nature and genetically devoid of aggression, they periodically protest, demanding more rights.

3.Aborigines do not have a common language

For some time now, the indigenous population has had its own television channel and it broadcasts in English - this is done so that television programs are understood by aborigines from all over the country. After all, when Europeans arrived in Australia, there were about 600 dialects on the continent. Now there are much fewer Aborigines, but still each Australian tribe has its own language, and in total there are about two hundred of them.

Now, as a result of the implementation modern world into the culture and life of the Aboriginal people, many of them more or less know English. But ordinary Australians practically do not understand the Aboriginal language. Of the non-aboriginal citizens, only old people own it, and even then not all of them.

4. There are three types of Aboriginal people living in Australia

The indigenous population of this continent is divided into three types. At the first (Barrenian) short stature and dark, almost black skin. These Aboriginal people live mainly in the province of North Queensland. The second type (Carpentarian) is very tall and also has quite dark skin, on which there is practically no vegetation. The third racial variety (Murray type) are aborigines of medium height with very abundant vegetation on the skin and a thick head of hair on the head. They live mainly in the valley of the Australian Murray River.

All three types of aborigines arrived on the continent by sea many millennia ago. Presumably from Africa. Such great anthropological differences between these groups are due to the fact that each of them arrived in Australia at different times and from different places.

5. Some Australian Aborigines are dark-skinned and fair-haired

About one tenth of the people of the Solomon Islands, located northeast of Australia, are blond. At first, researchers thought that such natives began to be born after contact with European sailors. However, genetic studies have shown that the blond hair of these wild people is the result of a mutation that occurred several thousand years ago.

6. Australians invented the boomerang

The boomerang is an object that is now known all over the world; it was the Australians who invented it many centuries ago. Similar objects were used by Paleolithic people in Europe, but the rock carvings of boomerangs discovered in Australia are the most ancient (they are 50 thousand years old). In addition, it was the inhabitants of this continent who came up with the returning type of boomerang.

By the way, the aborigines still use it when hunting. The lower part of the Australian boomerang is flat, and the upper part is convex. The Aborigines also have other types of boomerangs, differing in shape and size, each with its own purpose.

7.Aboriginal religion

According to the aborigines, life on Earth was created by a certain deity, who then retired to heaven. Many Indigenous Australians believed and continue to believe that, in addition to physical reality, there is a world of spirits (the world of dreams) that can be encountered in the sky. Such spirits supposedly control the Sun, Moon and other celestial bodies, but living people can also influence what happens in space.

A number of scientists claim that ancient Aboriginal cave paintings of an emu may actually be a figure formed in the sky by dust clouds from the Milky Way, to which the Australians, like the Incas, attached great mystical significance.

Aborigines believe that spirits can sometimes descend to Earth using a tree or a ladder during ritual ceremonies performed by tribes. And the tribes have many such rituals - for example, initiation into shamans and the celebration of puberty of boys or girls.

8.Aborigines have their own Stonehenge

Many basalt boulders about a meter high, forming smooth circles, were discovered some time ago in a desert area about 45 kilometers from Melbourne. As scientists have found out, this structure is at least 10 thousand years old, which means it is twice as ancient as its famous English counterpart, Stonehenge.

This group of stones played some important role among the aborigines. It is quite possible that ancient people could have used this stone structure as a cosmic calendar - a determinant of the time of sunrise and sunset or the onset of seasons. However, there is, of course, no exact confirmation of the purpose of this group of boulders.

There are also many amazing tribes left in Africa, which seem very strange to us.

Australia is located in the Southern and Eastern hemispheres of the planet. The entire continent is occupied by one state. The population is growing every day and currently stands at over 24.5 million people. Approximately every 2 minutes a new person is born. The country ranks fiftieth in the world in terms of population. As for the indigenous population, in 2007 it was no more than 2.7%, all the rest were migrants from different countries worlds that have inhabited the continent for several centuries. By age, children are approximately 19%, older people – 67%, and elderly (over 65 years old) – about 14%.

Australia has a high life expectancy - 81.63 years. According to this parameter, the country ranks 6th in the world. Death occurs approximately every 3 minutes 30 seconds. The infant mortality rate is average: for every 1,000 births, there are 4.75 newborn deaths.

Population composition of Australia

Australia is home to people with roots from different countries of the world. Largest quantity are the following people:

British;
New Zealanders;
Italians;
Chinese;
Germans;
Vietnamese;
Hindus;
Filipinos;
Greeks.

In this regard, a huge number of religious faiths are represented on the continent: Catholicism and Protestantism, Buddhism and Hinduism, Islam and Judaism, Sikhism and various indigenous beliefs and religious movements.

About the indigenous people of Australia

The official language of Australia is Australian English. It is used in government agencies and in communication, in travel agencies and cafes, restaurants and hotels, in theaters and transport. English language used by the absolute majority of the population - about 80%, all the rest are languages of national minorities. Quite often, people in Australia speak two languages: English and their native national language. All this contributes to the preservation of the traditions of various peoples.

Thus, Australia is not a densely populated continent, and has prospects for settlement and increase in population. It increases both due to the birth rate and due to migration. Of course, the majority of the population are Europeans and their descendants, but you can also meet various African and Asian peoples here. In general, we see a mix of different peoples, languages, religions and cultures, which creates a special state where people of different nationalities and religions live together.

Population of Australia 2016

Aborigine Australia is a native inhabitant of the continent. The entire nation is isolated from others racially and linguistically. The Aboriginal people are also known as the Australian Bushmen. "Bush" means vast areas with an abundance of bushes and low-growing trees. These areas are characteristic of some areas of Australia and Africa.

General information

The indigenous population speaks the Australian language. Only some of it is in English. Australian Aborigines inhabit mainly areas that are far outside the cities. They can be found in the Central, Northwestern, Northern and Northeastern parts of the continent. A certain part of the indigenous population lives in cities.

New data

For a long time it was generally accepted that the Tasmanian Aborigines developed separately from other Australian tribes. It was assumed that this continued for at least several thousand years. The results of modern research indicate otherwise. It turned out that the Tasmanian Aboriginal language has many words in common with other dialects of the Australian southern tribes. By race, these tribes are classified as a separate group. They are considered the Australian branch of the Australoid race.

Anthropology

According to this feature, the Australian aborigines, whose photos are presented in the article, belong to one characteristic species. It has certain characteristics. The Australian aborigine has pronounced features characteristic of the Negroid complex. A feature of the Bushmen is considered to be a fairly massive skull. Also a distinctive feature is the developed tertiary hairline. It is now well established that the Australian Aborigines are descended from one race. However, this does not exclude the possibility of influence by others. For that period, the spread of mixed marriages was typical. In addition, it should be taken into account that there were several migration waves to this continent. There was a significant time interval between them. It has been established that before the period of European colonization, a huge number of Aborigines lived in Australia. More precisely, over six hundred different tribes. Each of them communicated in their own dialect and language.

Aboriginal life in Australia

The Bushmen have no houses or dwellings, and they do not have domesticated livestock. Aborigines do not use clothing. They live in separate groups, which can include up to sixty people. Australian Aborigines do not even have a basic tribal organization. They also lack many of the simple skills that distinguish humans from animals. For example, they are not able to fish, make dishes, sew clothes, etc. Meanwhile, nowadays even those tribes that live in the wilds of Africa can do this. In the 19th century, relevant research was carried out. Then scientists came to the conclusion that the Australian aborigine is on a certain line between animals and people. This is due to the blatant savagery of their existence. Currently, the Australian aborigine is a representative of the most backward people.

Number of indigenous people

It amounts to just over four hundred thousand people. Of course, this is outdated data, because the census was conducted about ten years ago. This number includes those Aboriginal people who live in the Torres Strait Islands. The indigenous population is about twenty-seven thousand people. The local Aboriginal people are distinct from other Australian groups. First of all, this is due to cultural characteristics. They have many common features with the Papuans and Melanesians. Currently, the majority of Australian Aborigines live on charitable foundations and state aid. Their methods of life support have almost completely been lost. Accordingly, gathering, fishing and hunting are absent. At the same time, a certain part of the natives living on the Torres Strait Islands practice manual farming. Traditional religious beliefs are maintained. The following types of aborigines are distinguished:

Development before European intervention

The exact date of the settlement of Australia has not yet been established. It is assumed that this happened several tens of thousands of years ago. The ancestors of Australians come from South-East Asia. They managed to overcome about ninety kilometers of water obstacles. The road served as the Pleistocene appeared on the continent. Most likely, this happened due to the additional influx of settlers who arrived by sea approximately five thousand years ago. This is also the reason for the emergence of the stone industry. Even before the intervention of Europeans, the racial type and culture of the Australian Aborigines boasted breakthroughs in evolution.

Colonization period

Europeans arrived here in the 18th century. At that time, the Australian Aborigines numbered approximately two million people. They united in groups. The composition was quite diverse. As a result, there were more than five hundred tribes on the mainland. All of them were distinguished by a complex social organization. Each tribe had its own rituals and myths. Australian Aborigines communicated in more than two hundred languages. The period of colonization was accompanied by the deliberate destruction of the indigenous population. Australian Aborigines were losing their territories. They were forced out into environmentally unfavorable areas of the mainland. The outbreak of the epidemic contributed to a sharp reduction in their numbers. In 1921, the population density of Australia, indigenous people in particular, was no more than sixty thousand people. Subsequently, government policy changed. Protected reservations began to be created. The authorities organized medical and material assistance. The combination of these actions contributed significantly to Australia's growth.

Subsequent development

Such a concept did not exist until the beginning of 1949. Most of the local residents were considered British subjects. A corresponding law was passed, according to which all indigenous people became citizens of Australia. Every person born in a given territory after this date was automatically its citizen. In the 90s, the number of Australian Aborigines was about two hundred and fifty thousand people. This is only one and a half percent of the entire population of the mainland.

Aboriginal mythology

The indigenous people of Australia believed that existence was not limited to just physical reality. The Aborigines believed that there was a world where their spiritual ancestors lived. They believed that physical reality echoed it. And thus they influence each other mutually. There was a belief that the sky is the place where both of these worlds meet. The movements of the Moon and the Sun were influenced by the actions of spiritual ancestors. It was also believed that they could be influenced by a living person. Celestial bodies, stars, etc. play a huge role in Aboriginal mythology.

Archaeologists and historians long time engaged in the study of fragments containing drawings of Bushmen. It is still not entirely clear what exactly the rock paintings depicted. In particular, were these celestial objects or some pictures from everyday life? The Aborigines had certain information about the sky. It was established that they were trying to use it to implement a calendar. However, there is no information that it had anything to do with the lunar phases. It is also known that there were no attempts to use celestial objects for navigation.