A list of articles about the Australian Aborigines. It is intended to expand the list with entries regarding Aboriginal culture, examples of conflict between Aborigines and European settlers, instances of Aborigines being referred to as a “dying race”, the gaining of the right to vote for Aborigines, reports of inter-tribal warfare, and more.
(Arranged in chronological order.)
New Colony [October 1787]
An article about New Holland (Australia), which includes several paragraphs about the Australian Aborigines (see the headings “Inhabitants”, “Habitations, food, and manners”, and “Canoes and weapons”). Published in The New London Magazine (London, England).
[By the officer who brought home the dispatches from Botany Bay] [24 February 1791]
A brief untitled news item, about some well-behaved convicts, and an Aboriginal girl raised in Sydney. Published in The London Chronicle (London, England).
Natives [Aborigines attack settlers, 21 April 1805]
An account of some attacks by Aborigines upon settlers in New South Wales.
[Unpleasant accounts] [re an attack by Aborigines, 9 March 1816]
An article about an attack by a group of Aborigines against some white settlers on Sunday 3 March 1816.
[We have to regret the death of another white person] [re an attack by Aborigines, 16 March 1816]
An article which refers to the murder of a settler by some Aborigines, and also seeks to clear the name of an Aboriginal man named Budbury, who was previously thought to have taken part in an attack by a group of Aborigines against some white settlers on 3 March 1816.
To correspondents [re an attack by Aborigines, 23 March 1816]
An article, based upon a letter from Edmond Wright, which seeks to clear the name of an Aboriginal man named Budbury, who was previously thought to have taken part in an attack by a group of Aborigines against some white settlers on 3 March 1816.
Nouvelle-Hollande; Port-Jackson: Faimille de sauvages en voyage [artwork by Jacques Messidor Boisseau, 1826]
An artwork which depicts a family of Aborigines walking past an Aboriginal camp. It was drawn by S. Leroy and engraved by Jacques Messidor Boisseau (1794-1848) and Mr. Forget, and was published in Paris in 1826.
Domestic intelligence [3 February 1827]
This article mentions an Aboriginal man shot by a policeman: “Byron the Constable who was tried for shooting a man on the Parramatta Road, and subsequently committed on a charge of shooting a black Native at Port Stephens, has been appointed a Constable at Hobart Town.”
An Aboriginal Mother’s Lament [poem by Charles Harpur]
This poem, by Charles Harpur, was written regarding the Myall Creek massacre (1838).
The Aboriginal Mother [poem by Eliza Hamilton Dunlop, 13 December 1838]
This poem, by Eliza Hamilton Dunlop, was written regarding the Myall Creek massacre (1838). The poet’s husband was David Dunlop (1794-1863), who was the police magistrate and protector of Aborigines at Wollombi and Macdonald River.
The Aboriginal Mother [song by Eliza Hamilton Dunlop, 15 October 1841]
This song was based upon the 1838 poem by Eliza Hamilton Dunlop, and was set to music by Isaac Nathan. There are some significant differences between the song and the original poem.
Poetic talent of the Aborigines of Australia [songs, 3 March 1848]
An article which includes some songs of the Australian Aborigines.
Elegy [On the Death of E. B. Kennedy] [poem, 26 June 1849]
A poem, about the explorer Edmund Kennedy (1818-1848), who was killed by Aborigines in 1848.
The Creek of the Four Graves [poem by Charles Harpur, 1853]
A poem, by Charles Harpur, about a group of settlers killed by Aborigines. The poem was originally published in 1845, but was revised several times by Harpur. This version was published in The Bushrangers; A Play in Five Acts, and Other Poems (1853).
The Australian Sepoys [10 July 1858]
An article which refers to some attacks by Aborigines against a Chinese hut-keeper and a Mr. Turner. The newspaper says “the sable gentry are continuing their murderous and plundering career unchecked on the frontiers.”
The Cobra-Bal, or Bald Pated Blacks [10 July 1858]
A “tongue in cheek” article about a newly-discovered tribe of Aborigines.
New race of Aboriginals: Gold discovery [10 July 1858]
An article about a newly-discovered tribe of Aborigines.
Kooroora [poem by Henry Kendall, 1862]
A poem, by Henry Kendall, about a dead Aboriginal chieftain. Published in Poems and Songs (1862).
Monday, July 3, 1865 [news items, 3 July 1865]
Includes a news item regarding an Aboriginal settlement at Coranderrk, on the Upper Yarra.
The Last of His Tribe [poem by Henry Kendall, 1869]
A poem by Henry Kendall. Published in Leaves from Australian Forests (1869).
Police courts [court reports, 19 April 1877]
Includes a mention of a black man who stabbed a white man who had been having an intimate liaison with the black man’s girlfriend. (See the section “Black-eyed monster”.)
Obituary: Mr. John Allen [“Death of a Tasmanian pioneer”, 31 December 1879]
An obituary, regarding John Allen (1806-1879), which includes a paragraph about him being besieged on his farm for eight hours by a group of attacking Aborigines in 1828.
Aboriginal man on a horse [photograph, 1880s]
A photograph of an Australian Aboriginal man on a horse (possibly a stockman). The photo is undated; however, it is believed to have been taken in the 1880s.
Black Lizzie [poem by Henry Kendall, 1880]
A poem, by Henry Kendall, about an Aborigine known as “Black Lizzie”. Published in Songs from the Mountains (1880).
Peter the Piccaninny [poem by Henry Kendall, 1880]
A poem by Henry Kendall, about an Aborigine known as Peter. Published in Songs from the Mountains (1880).
Obituary: The late Francis Cotton [23 April 1883]
An obituary, regarding Francis Cotton (1801-1883), which includes a paragraph about an attack on four white settlers by hundreds of Aborigines.
New South Wales [October 1884]
This article includes census data on the Australian Aborigines, giving the numbers of Aborigines resident in each colony.
The Black King’s Skull [poem by Kenneth Mackay, 1887]
A poem by Kenneth Mackay. Published in Stirrup Jingles from the Bush and the Turf and Other Rhymes (1887).
A Black Reckoning [poem by Kenneth Mackay, 1887]
A poem by Kenneth Mackay. Published in Stirrup Jingles from the Bush and the Turf and Other Rhymes (1887).
An Aboriginal Mother’s Lament [poem by Charles Harpur; in an anthology of poetry, 1888]
This poem, by Charles Harpur, is a different version of his 1853 poem of the same title (there are a lot of minor differences between the 1853 and 1888 versions).
[The report of the Board for the Protection of the Aborigines] [11 January 1888]
This article is an example of the thinking of the time that the Australian Aborigines were a dying race, saying that “the aboriginal race is doomed, and is fated to disappear entirely within a few years”.
Up North [poem by Mary Hannay Foott, 1890]
A poem, by Mary Hannay Foott, about an attack by Aborigines against a white woman, her infant child and two Chinese servants (based upon a true story). Published in Morna Lee and Other Poems (1890).
Decay of the Aboriginal Race [poem, 19 December 1890]
A poem written by Miss Robertson, of Yarrawonga.
When the Nigger Saw the Train [poem, 28 April 1894]
A poem published in The Bird o’ Freedom (Sydney, NSW), 28 April 1894. Designed to be read as a humorous poem, the poem is about an Aboriginal man’s first contact with a train.
The old drover’s yarn [short story, 15 May 1894]
A short story in which two white drovers are captured by some Aborigines, but are let go when one of the drovers is regarded as an Aborigine, because he was missing a front tooth (as some Aboriginal tribes ceremoniously knock out a front tooth of those who have attained the age manhood).
Aboriginal songs and words [16 May 1896]
A letter, written by S. M. Mowle, published in The Australian Town and Country Journal, which includes two Aboriginal songs, as well as a list of Aboriginal words with English translations. The two songs were also published in Banjo Paterson’s collection, The Old Bush Songs (1905).]
Black Joe [short story by Henry Lawson, 1900]
A short story, by Henry Lawson, published in Over the Sliprails (1900), about an Aborigine known as “Black Joe”.
Something Aboriginal [by Archibald Meston, 16 August 1902]
An article, by Archibald Meston, giving his views on the Aborigines. A reply to this article was written by Tom Collins (Joseph Furphy), which was published on 30 October 1902.
Black Australia [by Tom Collins (Joseph Furphy), 30 October 1902]
A lengthy letter to the editor from Tom Collins (Joseph Furphy), regarding the Aborigines. It was written in reply to an article, by Archibald Meston, which appeared in The Bulletin on 16 August 1902.
Bushed [short story, by T. J. Cunningham, May 1904]
A short story, by T. J. Cunningham, which involved a “black tracker” in the search for a man lost in the bush.
Two Aboriginal Songs [1905]
Two Aboriginal songs. Published in The Old Bush Songs (1905), edited by Banjo Paterson.
A vignette of Port Phillip [by “Tom Collins” (Joseph Furphy), September 1906
A story, by Tom Collins (Joseph Furphy), regarding some Aborigines of the Upper Yarra.
William Buckley — The Wild White Man [19 January 1907]
An article about William Buckley, an escaped convict who lived with the Aborigines for many years.
Mr. Campbell and the Blacks [7 October 1910]
An article which reports on Mr. D. Campbell, M.P. as a defender of the rights of the Australian Aborigines. The article indicates that some Aborigines were voting in elections at that time.
Disinherited [poem by Marie E. J. Pitt, 1911]
A poem, by Marie E. J. Pitt, regarding some Aborigines in the city of Melbourne during Fleet Week. Published in The Horses of the Hills and Other Verses (1911).
A Queensland Explorer: Speared to death by blacks [short story, 11 March 1911]
A short story, by E.J.W., published in The World’s News (Sydney, NSW).
Among the Aborigines: A Perth lady’s visit: Mrs. Daisy Bates eulogised [11 September 1921]
An article on the work of Daisy Bates with the Australian Aborigines.
Black Trackers [The Illustrated Australian Encyclopaedia, 1925]
The entry “Black Trackers”, published in The Illustrated Australian Encyclopaedia (1925).
Dying out: The Aborigines [14 March 1925]
An article which reports on concerns regarding the “rate at which aborigines are dying out”. It mentions a proposal for a separate Aboriginal state in Australia.
The Black Australians [26 March 1925]
An article which reports on a proposal for a separate Aboriginal state in Australia.
The scheme opposed [1 April 1925]
The Aborigines’ Friends’ Association votes against the idea of creating a separate state for Aborigines.
An Aboriginal state [15 April 1926]
A letter to a newspaper supporting the idea of creating a separate state for Aborigines.
Sorrow of Black Alf [by P. R. Stephensen, 1929]
A short story, by P. R. Stephensen, about an Aborigine named Alfie Proctor. Published in The Bushwhackers: Sketches of Life in the Australian Outback (1929).
Willy Ah Foo [by P. R. Stephensen, 1929]
A short story, by P. R. Stephensen, which mentions a Chinese shepherd, named Tay Wah, who had been speared by Aborigines, and a subsequent “punitive expedition against the blacks”. Published in The Bushwhackers: Sketches of Life in the Australian Outback (1929). This story may or may not be based upon an actual event (a search for a news report regarding a man named Tay Wah being speared did not produce any results).
Barak’s Requiem [poem, 13 September 1930]
A poem regarding William Barak, “aboriginal king of the Yarra Yarra tribe”.
When the Niggers Own the Land [poem, 16 June 1931]
A poem, written by “Binghi”, which is critical of what the author views as the overly-soft treatment of Aborigines in the Northern Territory. Published in The Northern Standard (Darwin, NT).
Goorianawa [song, 1932]
A song, which includes the line “But I got speared at Goorianawa”. Published in Old Bush Songs: Composed and Sung in the Bushranging, Digging, and Overlanding Days (8th edition, 1932), edited by Banjo Paterson.
Hopin’ [short story by E.S. Latimer, 3 March 1932]
A short story by E.S. Latimer, which includes and attack by Aborigines against some white men. Published in The Queenslander (Brisbane, Qld.).
Trials of the pioneer: Some Aboriginal aggressions [14 January 1933]
An article, by J. B. Cooper, about various attacks against settlers by Aborigines. He refers to Judge Walpole Willis, the first resident judge at Melbourne, who “invariably refused to try the aborigine on the ground that the man of the stone age was not of sufficient capacity to understand the nature of the proceedings launched against him”. He also mentions the killing of four innocent Aborigines by settlers (“it was believed that the women in the darkness were mistaken for sheep thieves”).
Aborigines. Defended by Bishop [7 October 1933]
The Bishop of Carpentaria calls for efforts to protect Aborigines against Japanese fishermen.
Breeding out of half-castes: Doctor’s plea [24 March 1934]
An article which reports on the views of Dr. Cyril Bryan, who “urged the scientific breeding-out of black blood from half-castes by marrying them to people with a greater proportion of white blood.”
Discovery of the Murray: Sturt’s heroic achievement [chapter 18 of “The story of Australia” by Martin Hambleton, 14 October 1934]
An article, by Martin Hambleton, in which he mentions that Charles Sturt’s exploring expedition was threatened in 1930 by some Aborigines, but that the explorers were saved by the arrival of a group of friendly Aborigines .
Sir Thomas Mitchell: Search for a mythical river [chapter 20 of “The story of Australia” by Martin Hambleton, 28 October 1934]
An article, by Martin Hambleton, in which he mentions George Clarke, an escaped convict, who lived with the Aborigines; however, he says “the natives, hearing that he was wanted by the police for cattle stealing, brought him back to civilisation, and he was lodged in Bathurst gaol”.
By an Old Gum [poem by Rex Ingamells, 1935]
A poem, by Rex Ingamells, regarding the Aborigines, which ends with the line “I glimpsed a vision of a people dying.” Published in Gumtops (1935).
Forrest’s second and third expeditions [chapter 36 of “The story of Australia” by Martin Hambleton, 3 March 1935]
An article, by Martin Hambleton, in which he refers to John Forrest’s exploring expedition being attacked by Aborigines in 1874.
Settlement of Tasmania: Early bushrangers: Hostile Blacks [chapter 39 of “The story of Australia” by Martin Hambleton, 24 March 1935]
An article, by Martin Hambleton, in which he refers to the fate of the Aborigines in Tasmania.
Difficulties of settlement in Western Australia [chapter 42 of “The story of Australia” by Martin Hambleton, 14 April 1935]
An article, by Martin Hambleton, in which he says “Captain (afterwards Sir George) Grey made two expeditions on the north-west coast. … Grey discovered some remarkable rock paintings. Their origin is a mystery, but it is certain that they were not drawn by Australian aborigines of the race known to us.”
The settlement of Port Phillip [chapter 43 of “The story of Australia” by Martin Hambleton, 21 April 1935]
An article, by Martin Hambleton, in which he refers to the treaty made by settler John Batman with the Aborigines in the area of Melbourne.
Black Children [poem by Rex Ingamells, 1936]
A poem, by Rex Ingamells, in which he obliquely refers to the dispossession of the Aborigines by the white settlers. Published in Forgotten People (1936).
Change [poem by Rex Ingamells, 1936]
A poem, by Rex Ingamells, in which he refers to the dispossession of the Aborigines by the white settlers, saying “Adelaide spreads on the coastal plain, Where the tribesmen will not go again. … Only dreams of the blacks live on: The coo-ee is silent, the last tribe gone.” Published in Forgotten People (1936).
Colonization [poem by Rex Ingamells, 1936]
A poem, by Rex Ingamells, in which he refers to the dispossession of the Aborigines by the white settlers, saying “That white man’s destiny meant black man’s fate.” Published in Forgotten People (1936).
Chapter 15 [A Short History of Australia, by Ernest Scott, 1936]
This chapter, from A Short History of Australia (6th edition, 1936), by Professor Ernest Scott, refers to the aboriginals of Van Diemen’s Land (Tasmania).
Along the Hume Highway: Gundagai’s historical attraction: Canberra’s alluring beauties [by “Tasman”, 8 February 1936]
An article which mentions an attack by Aborigines against the explorers Hume and Hovell.
Black against White: History of Aborigines: Address by Chief Protector [27 June 1936]
A report on a lecture, given by Auber Octavius Neville (the Chief Protector of Aborigines) regarding relations between white settlers and the Aborigines. He refers to various conflicts between the settlers and Aborigines, including a brief mention of the Battle of Pinjarra.
Liquor for half-castes [7 August 1936]
A brief article which reports on concerns expressed regarding a legal change which allowed “certain half-caste aborigines in Northern Australia to purchase intoxicating liquor”.
Chapter 4 [Conditional Culture, by Rex Ingamells, 1938]
Chapter 4 of Conditional Culture (1938), entitled “The culture of the aborigines”, by Rex Ingamells.
The real Australian tongue [by P. I. O’Leary, 11 August 1938]
An article, by P. I. O’Leary, about the languages of the Australian Aborigines.
Editorial [by Rex Ingamells, April 1939]
An article, by Rex Ingamells, in which he refers to his Jindyworobak movement’s connection with the Aborigines, saying “Our interest in the aborigines will, we hope, prove to be not only a literary appropriation, but also vital for their welfare. We wish to deepen the existing sympathy with and understanding for them, which must precede effective legislation on their behalf.”
Strzelecki, who first found gold in the continent [by Professor Ernest Scott, 24 June 1939]
The explorer Count Paul de Strzelecki wrote: “Since the time that the aborigines have been declared by law, or rather sophistry of law, to be illegitimate possessors of any land which they do not cultivate,” he wrote, “the Australian has been looked upon, ipso facto, as a sort of brute intruder! and in the transactions which ended in the taking possession of New Holland by England, has been allowed no more voice than the kangaroos.”
To Australia [poem by Ruby Jean Stephenson, 18 November 1943]
A poem, by Ruby Jean Stephenson, in which she refers to Australia as “Home of the negro” (instead of “Home of the Aborigine”.
In the days of the pioneers: How Charlie Cameron escaped murder at the hands of blacks [21 February 1947]
An article which refers to various attacks and murders carried out by some Aborigines.
Section 6 [Because Men Went Hungry, by Rex Ingamells]
A section from Because Men Went Hungry: An Essay on the Uncertainty of Australian Prestige (1951), by Rex Ingamells, in which he says “Our Aborigines, from being regarded as so low a form of humanity as to be more like beasts than men, are renowned for intelligence and morality which our materialism has been slow to appreciate.”
Colonialism in our literature: My thirty years’ war [by P. R. Stephensen, 16 June 1962]
An article by P. R. Stephensen which refers to “The Dream Times” as one of the ten major phases of Australian historical development. In contrast to the attitude of some, “that the Aborigines were an inferior race, and a dying race, who should be helped to die out”, Stephensen says that the Aborigines are “an intelligent but culturally retarded people, who should be helped to survive”.
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