Introduction to Indigenous Australia

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people of Australia belong to many different communities and cultural groups. Although there are many common and shared histories, beliefs and practices, practitioners must be aware of the cultural and linguistic diversity across Australia and consider the culture, history and environment of the individual or group with whom you are working.

Many countries, many languages
Prior to colonisation, Australia consisted of more than 250 separate nations, each with their own language, defined territory and system of law: connected to each other, but as different from each other as the nations in Europe. Every part of the country was owned, loved and cared for. In 1788 it is estimated there were more than 250 distinct languages with 700 Aboriginal dialects. While Aboriginal languages have some similarities with each other, there is no single common language and very few common words; Aboriginal people were often multi-lingual speaking half a dozen languages or more in order to communicate with the groups around them. There are important protocols around the use of language.

In 1879, Queensland annexed the islands of the Torres Strait incorporating them into their administrative regime. Within the Torres Strait there are five different island groups with three main languages and several dialects spoken across the Torres Strait Islands with many speakers still practising today. Language and other cultural differences still exist today, but many Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander languages now have only a few speakers. At a practical level, there are few if any interpreter services for Aboriginal languages (this applies also to Kriol and Aboriginal English) despite the clear communication difficulties that ensue in critical areas such as the legal, education and health systems. Further information on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages can be obtained from the Federation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Languages, (FATSIL), or the AIATSIS website.

The many 'countries' in Australia are shown in two maps of Aboriginal Australia that have been produced.

1. The Tindale Map of Tribal Boundaries in Aboriginal Australia was published in 1974, after 50 years research by Norman Tindale. The map shows Aboriginal groups and their 'country' at the time of European contact. A copy of the map can be viewed on the South Australian Museum site at http://www.samuseum.sa.gov.au/tindale/boundaries-intro.htm .
2. The Encyclopaedia of Aboriginal Australia by David Horton (ed) (Aboriginal Studies Press, Canberra, 1994) also includes maps of Aboriginal Australia. A copy of the map can be viewed at http://www.aiatsis.gov.au/aboriginal_studies_press/aboriginal_wall_map

Both maps need to be viewed with caution - they are not exact, but a useful guide to boundaries and to understanding the complex nature of Aboriginal Australia in relationships to land.