History of Art and Aboriginals, Part 2

In 1788, the history of Australia’s Aboriginals changed forever. That was the year that the penal colony of Botany Bay opened, and the first shipload of convicts, soldiers, and colonists arrived in Australia. They arrived near the site of present day Sydney, New South Wales.

This new development was noticed by the Aboriginals, of course; how could it not have been? Some remnant of the Aboriginals’ first impression can still be seen today in the Sydney Rock Art, where there are carvings of 18th Century sailing ships among the Aboriginal totems and symbols.

As in most cases of contact between European settlers and indigenous peoples, the natives did not fare well. Aboriginal population plummeted, due to a combination of disease, warfare, and outright murder.

Aboriginal culture suffered, too. The English looked down on them as primitive savages, and English missionaries worked to eradicate the pagan culture and convert the Aboriginals. They were only partly successful; while a majority of Australian Aboriginals today identify as Christian, their older culture has not died.

Living Aboriginal culture can be seen across Australia, from tribal gatherings and ceremonies, to the thriving Aboriginal art galleries. The beautiful, and culturally unique, art of the indigenous Australians is no longer looked at as something to be destroyed, but rather as something to be cherished. Aboriginal artists are finding a ready market for their work, both among Australians and among tourists.