ABORIGINAL AUSTRALIA
The arrival of Europeans in the 18th century was to prove catastrophic for the indigenous population
The natives of Australia were once called Aborigines, though that’s not a word they picked themselves – it was a catch-all term coined by the British because there are more than 500 indigenous clans, each with its own culture, language and customs. To group them under one name is a bit like trying to say there is only one ‘European’. Nor does the term cover all indigenous peoples – only those on the mainland. The Torres Strait Islanders have their own identity and heritage.