Australian Culture and Society. The British Colonisation of Australia

Resumen o Introducción

Prior to the British colonisation of Australia, the continent was the home of thousands of indigenous people. The Aboriginal peoples lived here for centuries, they had developed their own culture, religious beliefs and traditions. But suddenly, on one day that will make history, the life of the Aborigines changed drastically and will from this day on never be the same again. On 18 January 1788, eleven ships with British convicts and officers reached the shore of their land. The British did not only want to explore the new continent, they had come to stay. From a western point of view, explorers like Christopher Columbus or James Cook are nowadays celebrated as heroes. But what if we change the perspective and we see the colonisation from a different point of view, for instance from the view of the Aborigines. Will the explorers still be defined as heroes? This essay discusses the colonisation of Australia from an Aboriginal perspective. The reasons for British colonisation, the line of action and the question whether the colonisation of Australia was in any way justifiable will be examined.