Pre-contact+Aboriginal+Society

Pre-Contact Aboriginal Society By: Rachel Newton, Brittany Tubbs, and Indiana Timothy

What groups existed in Australia before Europeans arrived from the 16th century?
By: Rachel Newton

It is believed that humans arrived in Australia dating back 40,000 to 50,000 years ago.These first humans were called Aborigines, a key part in Australia's history. The Aborigine population ranged anywhere from 315,000 to 750,000, at the point of European arrival and colonization. It is believed that this population was divided into around 250 individual nations, and each of these nations had their own language. Of these 250 languages, around 200 of them are now extinct.



A few of these groups are: One of the most important tribes was the Tharawal Tribe, who were the Aboriginal people of Southern Sydney and the Illawarra region in 1788. The Tharrawal Tribe is important because they were there when the first European colonists arrived. They were also known as the Dharawal people.
 * Koori (New South Wales and Victoria)
 * Nyungar (Southern Western Australia)
 * Murri (Queensland)
 * Nunga (Southern South Australia)



Here's an interesting video about the lives of Australian Aborigines!

media type="youtube" key="SNJm_EsRdjE?rel=0" height="349" width="425"

Some helpful links: [|Indigenous Australians] [|Aboriginal Australia] [|Tharawal People]

What were the main features and beliefs of these groups?
By: Brittany Tubbs

Settlers first arrived in the year of 1788, they were the sole occupants of Australia. About a hundred yeats later the Aborigines no long held much of the continent, they were also struggling for survival. The whites were overpowering to the Aborigines. The whites bragged about how well they had greater natural ablilities and a higher standard of living. 

by Indiana Timothy
 * ==How did the geography and climate of the Australian continent affect how these groups lived?==
 * The aborigines where hunters and gathers the men hunted, women and children gatherd berrys, nuts, frute. If they where next to a river the women would get shellfish and the men would fish.


 * ==What are some examples of unique cultural features of this society?==

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