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Unit 35.1 - Britain: losing and gaining an empire, 1763-1914
Essay
Assess the value of the source in revealing British attitudes towards the Aboriginal population of Australia and the impact of the settlement?
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Unit 35.1 - Britain: losing and gaining an empire, 1763-1914
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18/20 gained in the essay, "Assess the value of the source in revealing British attitudes towards the Aboriginal population of Australia and the impact of the settlement?".
This helps in the Australia module (BP2- Aboriginals section) in Option 35: Britain Losing and Gaining a Empire.
Unit 35.1 - Britain: losing and gaining an empire, 1763-1914
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Assess the value of the source in revealing British attitudes
towards the Aboriginal population of Australia and the impact of
the settlement?
Source 1 tells us that the British attitudes towards the Aboriginal people was that they were wild
inhabitants with no defining identity. This can be seen as it says, “open an intercourse with the
savage natives”. Although the aboriginals had existed for over 50,000 years (approx. 300,000 to 1
million of them), their culture was vastly different to the British. The Aboriginals lived in harmony
with nature, worshipped multiple pagan gods (totemism) and were not farmers. This made it difficult
for both groups to understand each other. The English, who had invaded a traditional lifestyle,
showed little willingness to understand the Indigenous peoples. The bushmen reflect these attitudes
as they saw the aboriginals as “vermin”. Through these attitudes, the source reveals the British felt it
was their obligation to create a “observance of religion” showing how they not only believed that the
British saw them as uncivilised but believed that they were meant to bring in order. These value
judgements by King George reflect the contemporary attitudes as Captain Cook claimed the land as
“Terra Nullius” (nobody’s land) since the Aboriginals hadn’t cultivated it and were deemed as
unrightful under British law. The source reveals that the British felt they needed to establish “good
order”, this was done through the taking of the aboriginal land. The British Government did not
acknowledge that Indigenous people had any rights to the land since they were non-workers
therefore lacking property rights. This is convincing as within a few days of landing in port Jackson,
the new colonists cut down trees and erected tents to house more than 1,000 people showing how
they claimed the land as the Crown’s land showing the widespread belief that the Aboriginals were
savages and that their land was “Terra Nullius” and for the taking.
Source 1 also reveals that the British had genuine intentions on having co-operation with the
aboriginals. The source orders Governor Phillip to ‘live in amity and kindness with them’. From this
we can understand that attitudes towards the Aborigines were to be tolerant and coexist alongside
them. The source also reveals that any disturbance to this co-operation would result in “such
offenders [being] brought to punishment according to the highest degree of offence”. This is
convincing as Arthur Phillip befriended Bennelong, an aboriginal, showing his openness to friendship.
He also didn’t retaliate when wounded by a spear. But the greatest evidence of such co-operation
was seen in Eora of NSW when convicts who stole from the aboriginals were flogged in front of the
aboriginal population for stealing their fishing gear. This shows how the British treated the
Aboriginals equally under British law and how their initial guidance was to enact fairness and co-
operation with the aboriginals.
This source is very useful in revealing British attitudes due to its origin, being from the government of
King George it shows an authoritative standpoint. The source being directive from a reigning
monarch to a colonial governor reinforces this high level of authority and gives it a sense of high
credibility since it comes from the very top. This nature and origin being from an authoritative
standpoint also shows that the source was representative of British attitudes. The purpose of the
source was to guide the actions of Arthur Phillip, the first Governor of New South Wales, in his
interactions with the Aboriginal people. This makes the source a valuable piece of evidence about
the intended policy of the British government towards the indigenous as it is a direct order on how
to treat the aboriginals.
The source is useful in revealing that the impact of the settlement was towards ensuring an effective
system of land distribution. This can be seen as it says, “pass grants thereof with all convenient speed
to any of the said convicts so emancipated”. This is convincing as Phillip gave out 66 land grants with
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