Why was the Aboriginal population declining?

This drastic reduction in numbers has been attributed to outbreaks of smallpox and other diseases to which the Indigenous peoples had no immunity, but other sources have described the extent of frontier clashes and in some cases, deliberate killings of Aboriginal peoples.

What were the two main causes of the major decline in the indigenous population of Australia after the year 1788?

Three main reasons for this dramatic population decline were: The introduction of new diseases. Settler acquisition of Indigenous lands. Direct and violent conflict with the colonisers.

Is the Aboriginal population declining?

Aboriginal population figures Experts estimate the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders at more than 770,000 at the time of the invasion in 1788. It fell to its low of around 117,000 people in 1900, a decrease by 84%. The median age for Aboriginal people, currently 23, is projected to reach 25 by 2026.

Why did the aboriginal population fall between 1788 and 1900?

The combination of disease, loss of land and direct violence reduced the Aboriginal population by an estimated 90% between 1788 and 1900. A wave of massacres and resistance followed the frontier of British settlement. Many indigenous people adapted to European culture, working as stock hands or labourers.

What were the three main reasons for the dramatic decline in indigenous population?

War and violence. While epidemic disease was by far the leading cause of the population decline of the American indigenous peoples after 1492, there were other contributing factors, all of them related to European contact and colonization.

What happened to the Aboriginal population as Australia was colonized?

After European settlers arrived in 1788, thousand of aborigines died from diseases; colonists systematically killed many others. At first contact, there were over 250,000 aborigines in Australia. The massacres ended in the 1920 leaving no more than 60,000. Today, urban and many rural aborigines rely on stores.

Why are more Aboriginals unemployed?

Aboriginal people have much lower employment rates than other Australians due to factors including education, training and skill levels, poorer health, limited market opportunities, discrimination, and lower levels of job retention. Aboriginal unemployment rates across regions in Australia.

What percentage of aboriginals are poor?

About 30 per cent of Indigenous households are in income poverty, which indicates that over 120,000 Indigenous people are living below the poverty line.

How did loss of land affect Aboriginal?

Aboriginal languages described intimately the land and the culture of the people who spoke them. That is why the removal of Aboriginal people from their ancestral lands has been so disastrous because the loss of country leads to loss of that language and culture.

Why did rapid Indian decline occur before the arrival of many non Indians?

There was a rapid Indian decline before the arrival of many non-Indians because the first non-Indians who came initially brought many diseases and the Spanish conquered the Indians. The Indian population recovered because the Indians had been exposed to the disease and there where high fertility rates.

What led to the decline of the native American population quizlet?

The arrival of European settlers in the 16th and 17th century resulted in a drastic decline of the Native American population. Disease (such as smallpox) brought by the Europeans were deadly to the Natives.

How did Colonisation affect Aboriginal?

Colonisation severely disrupted Aboriginal society and economy—epidemic disease caused an immediate loss of life, and the occupation of land by settlers and the restriction of Aboriginal people to ‘reserves’ disrupted their ability to support themselves.

Why did the indigenous population of Australia decline?

Whatever the size of the Indigenous population before European settlement, it declined dramatically under the impact of new diseases, repressive and often brutal treatment, dispossession, and social and cultural disruption and disintegration (see the article Statistics on the Indigenous Peoples of Australia, in Year Book Australia 1994 ).

Where does the largest Aboriginal population in Australia live?

End of interactive chart. Of the states and territories, the largest populations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians lived in New South Wales (265,700 people) and Queensland (221,400 people). The smallest population of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians lived in The Australian Capital Territory (7,500 people).

How old is the average indigenous person in Australia?

The Indigenous population is a relatively young population, with a median age of 21 years, compared with 37 years for the non-Indigenous population. The younger age structure of the Indigenous population is shown in graph 7.24. In 2006, 37% of Indigenous people were aged under 15 years compared with 19% of non-Indigenous people.

What was the population of Australia in 2006?

Source: Australian Demographic Statistics (3101.0); Experimental Estimates and Projections, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians (3238.0). The estimated resident Indigenous population at 30 June 2006 was 517,200 people, or 2.5% of the total Australian population.