Aboriginal Histories and cultures

“Aboriginal children removed from their families and placed in institutions or fostered by White families between 1910 and 1970” (Collins, 2013). During this time, the Australian public were lead to believe that by taking these children these Indigenous Australians were being disadvantaged and were at risk if they stayed in their own communities (National Sorry Day Committee, 2013). The reality of this event was that these children were taken to be exposed to ‘anglo values’ and ‘anglo work habits’ (National Sorry Day Committee, 2013). Essentially, these children were taken to stop these children from passing on their culture (National Sorry Day Committee, 2013).

On the 13^th of February 2008, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd stood up in federal parliament, and on behalf of all of Australia said “sorry” (The Sunday Morning Herald, 2008). This speech inflicted much reconciliation within the Aboriginal community (Korff, 2013).

“It’s been absolute closure. I was taken when I was 10… This apology was something I really needed to hear.”

Murray Harrison
(as cited in: (Korff, 2013).

“In my heart I feel there is a real need for [the apology] … For my family, it allows some kind of healing and forgiveness to take place where there is less anger and bitterness in the hearts of people.”

Cathy Freeman
(as cited in: (Korff, 2013).

However even in this dire part in Australian history, we are able to find reconciliation. With this speech, Kevin Rudd managed to fill the hole in the hearts of Indigenous Australians (Warren Mundine, as cited in: Korff, 2013). With this, it can be seen that not everything in history is set in stone. This apology has been a great stepping stone in the right direction for the Indigenous Australians.

 

References:

Collins. (2013). English dictionary definition of "stolen generation". Retrieved from http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/stolen-generation

Korff, J. (2013). 'sorry’ apology to stolen generations. Retrieved from http://www.creativespirits.info/aboriginalculture/politics/sorry-apology-to-stolen-generations

National Sorry Day Committee. (2013). The history of the stolen generations. Retrieved from http://www.nsdc.org.au/stolen-generations/history-of-the-stolen-generations/the-history-of-the-stolen-generations

The Sunday Morning Herald. (2008). Kevin Rudd’s sorry speech. Retrieved from http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/02/13/1202760379056.html

 

Asia and Australia's engagement with Asia

Australia has almost always had some involvement with Asia, one such instance is the Chinese coming to Australia and living on the gold fields (The Original Gold Rush Colony¹). It was believed that there was close to 7,000 Chinese that worked on the Araluen Gold Fields which is located in the Southern Part of NSW Gold Rush Colony¹). Within a thirty-seven year period, an estimation of about 40,721 Chinese immigrants that came to Australia, out of which 36,049 returned to China after the gold rushes had ended (Wells, 2007). This was because most of the immigrants were there on a contract and stayed until there debt was paid before returning back home (Wells, 2007).

During this time, the mistreatment for the Chinese immigrants grew to become more brutal (The Original Gold Rush Colony²). When the anti-Chinese Laws were formed in the late 1870s and 1880s, were “declarations that Chinese people were a threat to mainstream Australia (The Original Gold Rush Colony²). These laws lead to violence, wrongful arrest, committed to “lunatic asylum”, forced vaccination, eviction from their own built up farms or refusal from re-entering Australia (The Original Gold Rush Colony²).

One hundred years later after the first anti-Chinese laws, in 1972, there was a full political introduction of official policies of multiculturalism (The Original Gold Rush Colony²). Australia’s multiculturalism is a very much consists of the Chinese and other Asian countries, this has a great influence on the “modern Australia” (The Original Gold Rush Colony²). Australia has almost always had some involvement with Asia, especially with the Gold Rush in Australia Gold Rush Colony¹), although it was not always on good terms, however as time has moved on the connection between the two continents have gotten stronger.

References:

The Original Gold Rush Colony. (n.d.). Chinese on the Australian gold fields. Retrieved from http://www.goldrushcolony.com.au/australian-gold-history-culture-info/chinese-australian-gold-fields

The Original Gold Rush Colony. (n.d.). Anti-Chinese racism. Retrieved from http://www.goldrushcolony.com.au/australian-gold-history-culture-info/chinese-australian-gold-fields/anti-chinese-racism

Wells, K. (2007). The Australian gold rush. Retrieved from http://australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/austn-gold-rush

Sustainability

Extinction, a prime example of what sustainability shouldn’t be. The Pig-Footed Bandicoot’s population was declining since the 19^th century, however it was last seen in 1926 (Wildscreen, 2013). With the some of the main reasons that lead to its extinction were alterations to its habitat and invasive species (Wildscreen, 2013). This omnivore’s habitat was mostly found in the Australian desert woodlands, shrub lands and grasslands (Northern Territory Government).

The decline of this particular marsupial started when Australia was being colonised by the Europeans (Normile, 2012). When the Europeans colonised Australia they stopped the Indigenous people from the sacred burning in which they burned small grass areas which quickly regenerated, which provided a fresh supply of food for the bandicoots (Normile, 2012).  

As this marsupial is already extinct, as of 1991, under the Australian Conservation Foundation, there is a policy for the protection of arid and semi-arid land species that inhabit these areas today (Wildscreen, 2013). There are many different steps that are being taken to ensure that other bandicoots do not suffer the same fate as the Pig-Footed Bandicoot (Conservation volunteers, 2011). Some of these steps are, the removal of invasive weeds, planting native grasses, maintenance and monitoring of exclusion fencing and also monitoring the numbers of other bandicoots (Conservation volunteers, 2011).

Even though it is too late for the Pig-Footed Bandicoot, Australians are taking major precautions to save the other bandicoots that are found in Australia. With this sustainability can be maintained and can avoid extinction of another species.

References:

Conservation volunteers. (2011). Wild futures - helping to save the eastern barred bandicoot. Retrieved from http://www.conservationvolunteers.com.au/support-us/wild-futures/eastern-barred-bandicoot

Normile, R. V. (2012). Chaeropus ecaudatus pig-footed bandiccot. Retrieved from http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Chaeropus_ecaudatus/

Northern Territory Government. (n.d.). Nature notes - pig-footed bandicoot. Retrieved from http://www.alicespringsdesertpark.com.au/kids/nature/mammals/bandicoot.shtml

Wildscreen. (2013). Pig-footed bandicoot (chaeropus ecaudatus). Retrieved from http://www.arkive.org/pig-footed-bandicoot/chaeropus-ecaudatus/