Geography
In The
News™
ficient at searching for and stalking game.
Women were able to gather wild seeds and
grind them into flour. Land was held in
common with no private ownership.
The largest problem confronting the
Aborigines was finding water on the dry
continent of Australia. They learned the
locations of springs and seeps, found they
could live by harvesting water in the form
of dew, and occasionally survived on the
fluids obtained from small creatures such
as frogs. Theirs was a life of hardship and
uncertainty.
When the first Europeans arrived in
Australia in 1788, there were perhaps
300,000 Aborigines in about 50 tribes
spread across the continent. The Europeans believed the Aborigines were a primitive people and treated them badly, taking
away their land, killing them and spreading disease among them.
Today, out of more than 20 million Australians, there are fewer than 50,000 pure
Neal G.
Lineback
AUSTRALIA’S
ABORIGINES
L
da
S un
hands on sheep ranches, farms and plantations, while others live on government
programs. Some live on reservations, not
unlike American Indian reservations.
One case study involves tiny Palm Island, located off Australia’s northeast
coast. According to a Christian Science
Monitor article (April 10, 2006), Palm Island is much “like a number of Aboriginal
communities that are geographically and
socially on the fringes. Palm Island owes
some of its isolation to communal land
ownership.” Most Palm Island residents
are economic wards of the state, although
there are many natural resources available
Even as numbers of Australia’s Aborigito residents. The Great Barrier Reef is just
nes dwindle, the government continues to
14 miles (23 km) offshore.
search for ways to incorporate them into
Investors have avoided Palm Island
the greater Australian society.
because they cannot purchase land and
Australia’s Aborigines have resided on
because the Aboriginal culture seems unthe continent for perhaps 40,000 or more
interested in developing businesses. The
years. They arrived from Southeast Asia
communal property issue was an honorduring the depths of the Pleistocene ice
able attempt by the government to preserve
age when sea levels were 350
some Aboriginal culture, but
feet (107 m.) or more lower
it apparently has helped trap
A Path to Isolation
than today’s sea levels beresidents in poverty.
ASIA
cause much of the world’s
The issue of Aboriginal
Land exposed by
water was sealed in glaciers.
culture being poorly suited
lower sea levels
(18,000 years ago)
During this period, many
to business development,
land bridges were exposed by
however, is much more comthe lower sea levels.
plicated. It often takes generThe Sunda land bridge exations of isolated cultures bePac i fi c
Oc ean
tended from Southeast Asia
fore social mores may change.
to Australia, but there were
Major issues include work
narrow areas of open water
ethics, timeliness, workplace
Br
idg
e
here and there. The original
cooperation, truthfulness and
migrants crossed from island
honesty and a host of other
to island by wading, swimsociological characteristics.
Indian
Palm Island
Ocean
ming and boating. EventuThe problem is that people
ally, they reached Australia.
in minority cultures or those
About 15,000 to 10,000 years
trapped in poverty sometimes
AUSTRALIA
ago, the glaciers began meltdon’t welcome the opportuing and sea levels rose once
nity to change, preferring to
0
1000 mi
more, isolating the Australian
maintain the status quo.
0
1000 km
Tasman
Aborigine population.
The Australian governSea
Once the Aborigine popument has found it difficult
©2007
lation became isolated from
to incorporate its Aborigine
outside cultural and genetic Geography in the News 3/02/2007
population into mainstream
R.Huerta
influences, their unique culculture. But, then, for the
ture developed. They reAborigine people to adopt
Sources: Arnoldy, Ben, “Bid to boost Aboriginal futures,” The Christian
mained a mobile hunting and
another culture would mean
Science Monitor, April 10, 2006; http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/society/
gathering society, with their
losing their native culture.
A0805377.html; and http://www.factmonster.com/spot/aboriginal1.html.
own languages and dialects,
There are no equitable anreligious practices and family
swers to the problems with
social structure. Their physical characterAborigines and another 144,000 of mixed
assimilating native cultures, as evidenced
istics included dark to tan skin, prominent
Aborigine/European heritage. Although
by past histories of the Kurds, Roma (gypbrow ridges and thin legs and arms.
there are examples of Aborigines who
sies), Basques, Kashmiris, Tamils, Hmong,
The Aborigines found a treasure of large
have achieved considerable equality in
and the American Indians.
animals in Australia, largely preserved as
Australian society, most still face discrimiAnd that is Geography in the News™.
species because they too were isolated by
nation and unofficial prejudice and remain
March 2, 2007. #874.
the rising sea level. The result was abunsocially, economically and politically un(Neal Lineback is a Professor Emeritus of
dant large game such as kangaroos and
derprivileged.
Geography at Appalachian State University,
large birds. With primitive weapon techMost Aborigines today still are scattered
Boone, NC. University News Director Jane
nology, Aborigine men became very proacross Australia, some working as hired
Nicholson serves as technical editor.)
an
d
©2007 Maps.com