Significant Events for Indigenous Australians in December
December holds a profound significance in the history of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, marked by both devastating losses and pivotal milestones.
From massacres that decimated First Nations communities to the establishment of colonial control mechanisms, these events expose the harsh realities of Australia's colonisation.
Yet, amid the darkness, moments of resilience and progress, such as the First Sitting of the First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria, offer hope for justice and reconciliation.
This month’s blog explores these key historical moments, highlighting their lasting impact on Indigenous Australians.
- 31 December 1788 – Arabanoo, an Aboriginal man of the Eora nation was abducted by British colonists
On Christmas Eve 1788, Arabanoo was forcibly abducted by British colonists to facilitate communication between the Eora people and the inhabitants of the penal colony at Port Jackson.
Governor Arthur Phillip sought to end hostilities with the Aboriginal clans in the area by capturing a local person to learn their language and demonstrate the supposed benefits of coexistence with the British.
Arabanoo, who was believed to be around 30 years of age at the time, was taken violently, restrained with chains and kept under guard at Phillip’s residence. Though initially resistant, he adapted to some aspects of European life, wearing their clothes and engaging in their customs.
Despite Phillip’s aim of fostering goodwill, Arabanoo did not learn English sufficiently to bridge cultural divides, and tensions between the groups persisted.
In April 1789, a sudden epidemic of smallpox was reported amongst the Port Jackson Aboriginal people who were still actively resisting the colonists from the First Fleet.
The colonist population had been immunised against the disease from previous exposure and had no symptoms whatsoever. However, it was a catastrophe for the Aboriginal population.
The outbreak is estimated to have killed over 2000 Aboriginal people in the nearby area. Some historians have argued that the small pox epidemic was a deliberate act of biological warfare against the Aboriginal people.
In the 18th century, the use of smallpox by British forces was not unprecedented. This tactic was used in 1763, when smallpox-laden blankets were distributed to Native Americans from Fort Pitt near the Great Lakes.
Arabanoo was assigned by the colonists to look for survivors and was horrified when he approached the campsites which were either devoid of human life or filled with the putrid corpses of his people.
He is recorded as being "in silent agony for some time, at last he exclaimed 'All dead! All dead!' and then hung his head in mournful silence".
Arabanoo later helped bring some of those found alive back to a hut near the colony’s hospital. He helped nurse them, including a boy named Nanbaree and girl named Boorong. Soon after, Arabanoo himself displayed symptoms of the disease. He died on 18 May 1789.
- 28 December 1836 - The official role of the Protector of Aborigines was first introduced in South Australia
- 29 December 1880 – The first Protector of Aborigines was appointed in New South Wales
Two significant dates in the month of December mark the establishment of the Protector of Aborigines roles in colonial Australia.
While these roles were initially presented as humanitarian measures to safeguard the welfare of Aboriginal Australians, their history reveals a darker reality of dispossession, oppression and cultural destruction.
A System of Control Disguised as Protection
The Protector of Aborigines office was first introduced in South Australia in 1836, following Governor Hindmarsh’s proclamation to “protect” Aboriginal people and promote their conversion to Christianity.
Matthew Moorhouse became the colony's first non-interim Protector, tasked with serving as the legal guardian of "unprotected Aboriginal children" and overseeing the welfare of Aboriginal communities. This model was later adopted in other colonies, with George Thornton becoming the first Protector in New South Wales in 1880.
These roles were ostensibly designed to safeguard Aboriginal rights, but their true purpose aligned with colonial interests. Protectors facilitated the expansion of the European invasion by forcing Aboriginal people from their ancestral lands, confining them to reserves and implementing oppressive policies. Far from being protectors, they became agents of colonial domination.
Dispossession and Forced Labour
Protectors often oversaw the removal of Aboriginal people from their traditional lands, clearing the way for agriculture and mining. Once dispossessed, Aboriginal communities were confined to reserves or forced labour camps where they faced harsh living conditions and exploitation.
Laws like the Half-Caste Acts (1886) gave Protectors sweeping control over Aboriginal lives. These laws dictated employment, residence and even marriage, under the pretence of "civilising" Aboriginal Australians. In reality, these policies reinforced a system of racial oppression and economic exploitation.
The Stolen Generations
Perhaps the most devastating aspect of the Protectorate system was the forced removal of Aboriginal children from their families, a practice that created the Stolen Generations. Under policies of assimilation, children were placed in institutions or with white families, stripped of their cultural identities and denied connection to their heritage. Aboriginal languages, traditions and ceremonies were actively suppressed, resulting in a profound loss of cultural knowledge.
Protectors and Genocidal Violence
Many Protectors were directly complicit in acts of violence and genocide.
- Matthew Moorhouse, the first Protector of Aborigines, led an officially sanctioned volunteer force responsible for the Rufus River Massacre in 1841, which killed 30 - 40 Maraura people, including women and children. Aboriginal oral history suggests even higher casualties.
- A.O. Neville, the Chief Protector of Aborigines in Western Australia from 1915 to 1940, played a central role in enforcing oppressive policies. He regulated nearly every aspect of Aboriginal life, perpetuating the assimilationist agenda.
These officials became key enablers of the systemic destruction of Aboriginal communities.
A Legacy of Oppression
By 1969, legislation allowing for the forced removal of Aboriginal children had been repealed, but the damage inflicted by the Protectorate system endures.
Generations of dispossession, forced assimilation and cultural erasure have left profound scars on Aboriginal communities.
Acknowledging the Past for a Better Future
The establishment of the Protector of Aborigines roles highlights the calculated nature of Australia's colonisation, which used a veneer of "protection" to justify dispossession and genocide.
Recognising this history is essential for understanding the full impact of colonisation on Australia’s First Nations peoples and for fostering meaningful reconciliation.
As we reflect on these historical dates, let us commit to learning from the past and supporting efforts to address its enduring legacy. Only by confronting this history can we move toward justice and healing for Aboriginal Australians.
The Dark Legacy of Colonisation: Four Massacres That Shaped Australia's History
- 29 December 1827 - The Iwaidja Massacre, Fort Wellington, Victoria
- 6 December 1828 - The Tooms Lake Massacre, Tasmania
- 16 December 1864 - The Nassau River Massacre, Cape York, Queensland
- December 1873 - The Battle Camp Massacre, Palmer River, Queensland
The colonisation of Australia is marked by a history of systemic violence and dispossession against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
A project instigated by the late historian, Lyndall Ryan from the University of Newcastle has mapped over 400 Aboriginal massacre sites across Australia.
These four specific massacres, spanning decades and regions, illustrate the brutality inherent in the British invasion and its devastating impact on Indigenous communities.
These events, characterised by calculated violence, resistance and cultural destruction form part of the broader narrative of the Aboriginal genocide and colonisation in Australia.
The Iwaidja Massacre
On 29 December 1827, Captain Henry Smyth of the 39th Regiment ordered a raid on an Iwaidja camp near Fort Wellington on the Cobourg Peninsula. Three convicts and three soldiers attacked at dawn, wounding many and killing at least five Aboriginal people, including a child and her mother, who were bayonetted as they fled.
Earlier that year, Smyth had used artillery, an 18-pound carronade, against the Iwaidja, an act foreshadowing further escalations in violence.
This event exemplifies the violent measures used by British colonists to assert control, targeting Indigenous populations, including women and children.
Such tactics, aimed at eliminating resistance and dispossessing First Nations peoples, underline the genocidal framework of colonisation.
The Tooms Lake Massacre
On 6 December 1828, soldiers of the 40th Regiment and two constables launched a pre-dawn attack on a group of Aboriginal Tasmanians at Tooms Lake. It was reported that as many as sixteen people were killed, their bodies piled together and burned, a method that became a hallmark of frontier violence.
This massacre occurred during the Black War, a period of intense conflict between colonists and the Palawa people. The event highlights the calculated extermination efforts targeting Tasmanian Aboriginal communities, who had already faced catastrophic population decline due to disease, violence and exploitation.
The systematic killings of this era are widely regarded as part of the Tasmanian genocide, aligning with international definitions of the term.
The Nassau River Massacre
On 16 December 1864, Frank and Alexander Jardine led a party driving cattle through Cape York Peninsula when they encountered resistance from Kokoberrin warriors protecting their land.
The Jardines and their group opened fire and killed eight or nine Kokoberrin and forced the survivors to retreat.
This event reflects the violent dispossession central to the British seizure of Aboriginal lands. For the Kokoberrin people, defending their land against encroachment was met with fatal retaliation.
The massacre serves as a grim example of the systematic destruction of Indigenous communities, paving the way for colonisation.
The Battle Camp Massacre
In December 1873, violence erupted near the Palmer River in Far North Queensland during the gold rush. As miners encroached on Indigenous lands, Aboriginal groups resisted, only to face deadly force.
Descriptions of the event, including accounts of the later discovery of skulls with bullet holes that had been left behind, attest to the indiscriminate violence inflicted on local Aboriginal communities.
The Battle Camp massacre epitomises the relentless violence of Australia’s colonial frontier, where the quest for wealth and land came at the expense of Aboriginal lives and cultures. It stands as a poignant reminder of the human cost of colonisation.
A Legacy of Loss and Resilience
These massacres, spread across different regions and decades, are part of a broader pattern of systematic violence during Australia’s colonisation. Each event illustrates the resistance of Indigenous communities and the brutal measures used to suppress them.
Beyond the immediate loss of life, these massacres contributed to the displacement, cultural destruction and trauma that continue to affect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.
As Australia reckons with its colonial past, these stories must be remembered, not just as episodes of historical violence, but as enduring reminders of the resilience of First Nations peoples and the ongoing need for truth, reconciliation and justice.
- 10 December 2019 - First Sitting of the First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria
The First Sitting of the First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria in 2019 marked a historic milestone in Australia’s journey toward justice and reconciliation with Aboriginal communities.
As the first democratically elected body representing Aboriginal Victorians, the Assembly was tasked with laying the groundwork for treaty negotiations between the Victorian Government and First Nations peoples. This includes establishing the rules for negotiations, creating an independent Treaty Authority to ensure fairness and developing a fund to support equitable participation in the treaty process.
Meeting in the chamber of the Victorian Legislative Council, the Assembly's formation and inaugural session symbolised a significant step toward self-determination for Aboriginal Victorians. It also paved the way for the Victorian Government's announcement of a truth and reconciliation commission in July 2020, the first of its kind in Australia. This commission aims to address historical injustices and aligns with calls in the Uluru Statement from the Heart for a national truth-telling process.
The Assembly's ongoing work underscores its critical role in fostering dialogue, recognising Aboriginal sovereignty and advancing treaty-making in Victoria.
Conclusion
Reflecting on the anniversaries of events in the month of December provides an insight into the struggles and triumphs of Indigenous Australians throughout history.
While colonial massacres and oppressive systems inflicted immense suffering, they also reveal the strength and resilience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
As the First Peoples' Assembly in Victoria continues its work toward treaty-making and truth-telling, there is a growing recognition of the need to address past injustices and support self-determination.
By remembering these historical milestones, we can strive for a more equitable and just future.
