Thread: Sadly our history has some very dark parts

Originally Posted by AllTerr

All of what you have said has happened in every country in the planet, yet no one else is complaining.

Not true of course. Displaced native people all over the world struggle to be heard against the cacaphony of the victor's cries of "nothing to be seen here, move along".

Originally Posted by trout1105

Seriously? Who told you that?

Easily available history, but not published in the popular press.

Originally Posted by V8Ian

No, feel free to debate any version, but debate the issue instead of trading insults with people who hold a different view.

Very good. night all.

Originally Posted by bee utey

Aah, yes, the ol' give them blankets from the infectious diseases hospital, what could possibly go wrong?

Now your drawing a very long bow , may have watched to many movies about the American Indians.

That theory has been discussed , put to bed , re-opened , put to bed , and reopened again , even as late as 2012 to my knowledge.

There are theories that smallpox or chickenpox came out with the first fleet , some theories that it may have been introduced as a defence against attacking aboriginal clans as the supply of muskettes and ammo was very short and would often misfire when used. These are theories that haven't been confirmed, only on what someones interpretation of things is

There are even reports that the morroccans bought it with them when they came to the northern parts of Australia collecting seas cucumbers. Also based on someones interpretation of things

I haven't read of blankets laced with disease were handed out to the Aboriginals. I guess there is someone out there that has proberly written of it , but plenty of people have disagreed with that point of view.

As always happy to be proven wrong.

Cheers Ean

It's certainly true that a lot of indigenous people died of diseases, such as influenza.
It's also well documented that many were hunted down and massacred, and the sites of those reprisals have been mapped.
I recommend 'The Other Side of the Frontier' by Prof. Henry Reynolds, which describes how the frontier of the war shifted over about 150 years as the 'vermin' were subdued.

Originally Posted by AllTerr

Victors of what? Of who? There WAS NO WAR!!! Bottom line: this country was settled, not invaded. There was no malice when the first settlers came. Most tried to make friends.

Rubbish. Where do you guys get off with all this neo-colonial denial of historical fact?

You only have to google Aboriginal War to find numerous prominent examples of war, massacres, etc perpetrated by so-called 'settlers' on Aboriginal people - none more prominent than the so called Black War in Tasmania between 1804-1830...

There's a new map showing Aboriginal massacre sites in Eastern Australia. And these are just the known sites.
New map records massacres of Aboriginal people in Frontier Wars - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Everywhere you drive your Land Rover on this continent has always been Aboriginal Land, until it was stolen. Just acknowledge it. The only way to 'move on' is to actually acknowledge this and build a bridge - together. Mutual respect only arises when the truth is actually acknowledged. Driving across Aboriginal Land is an extraordinary privilege if you listen. The Country comes alive way beyond enjoying the sunset.

Originally Posted by DiscoMick

It's certainly true that a lot of indigenous people died of diseases, such as influenza.
It's also well documented that many were hunted down and massacred, and the sites of those reprisals have been mapped.
I recommend 'The Other Side of the Frontier' by Prof. Henry Reynolds, which describes how the frontier of the war shifted over about 150 years as the 'vermin' were subdued.

I think that any new disease introduced by whatever means would have serious consequences , and am sure that was true for the Aboriginals when any foreign people arrived , the French and the Dutch were here long before the English and am sure they would have bought some common sort of infection to them but would have had consequences for any people they had contact with.

It is still the case today , the bird flu pandemic springs to mind. The same thing happens in Darwin every dry season , the town expands by many thousands and with them come all strains of disease , the common cold and flu being the norm.

Our eldest daughter runs the renal dialysis clinic up here and most of her patients are indigenous and she tells me even in todays world they lack a certain gene which makes them prone to kidney failure. Sadly renal dialysis is a growth industry.

Cheers Ean

Yes, it's sad. Might you, the British are currently complaining about 'The Australian Flu', so it's still happening in reverse.
The French and Dutch didn't have much contact with Aboriginals, apart from brief meetings, so I doubt if they can be blamed.