Unlike most other parts of the world, where modern humans evolved from earlier forms, the Aborigines probably came to Australia as modern human beings 40,000 to 60,000 years ago. Some people believe that the Aborigines have existed on Australia for 120,000 to 150,000 years, but have not been able to find conclusive evidence to support their theories. 40,000 years ago the world looked very different. An ice age was just ending and there were huge amounts of ice at the poles of the earth. The large ice caps on the north and south poles caused the oceans to be 400 to 600 feet lower than they currently are, letting Australia extend much farther into the ocean than it currently does. Australia, New Guinea and Tasmania were all part of one continent leaving the widest possible gap of water between Australia and the Asian landmass at just 80 miles. The most probable reason for the existence of people in Australia is that people who had already spread throughout the Indonesian islands were able to see the smoke of naturally occurring Australian brush fires from Borneo. The indigenous people of the Indonesian islands today are excellent watercraftsmen and swimmers. It is very likely that the Ancestors of these people realized when they saw smoke in the distance that there was land there and sailed to find it. Once people landed in Australia they spread along the coastline to southern Australia, with some people crossing a land bridge to Tasmania. Eventually Aborigines inhabited every part of Australia. Even though modern day Aborigines originated from a single group of people, the extremely diverse geography of Australia has greatly shaped the different groups of Aborigines living within Australia. Different groups evolved differently in different parts of Australia, and today there are hundreds of cultures and languages which are different but share the same basic beliefs, such as The Dreaming.
www.aboriginalheritage.org. Last modified June 14, 2006. Accessed July 13, 2013
http://www.aboriginalheritage.org/history.
-Alison Chin
Author's Reflection
The Aborigines faced a huge downfall in their community. During the 20th century, they made policies to remove Aboriginal children from their homes and assimilate them into a westernized culture. They stripped them of their language and culture. In the eyes of the British and other countries, Aborigines were seemed as savages because they didn't live in a civilized manner. These difficult times reminded me of the Native Americans. They had to endure such harsh punishment such as the Trail of tears. It isn't right to stereotype a group. The faults of our society is that we all judge too much. Always assuming the worse of somebody and believing the way we live is the only way everybody should live.
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