Australia - governors main reason for deteriorating position of Aborigines essay plan

Question 1

Intro

Answer 1

• Fully agree.
• Yes brit gov put settlers and convicts there + governors for brit gov appointed.
• But governors has sole power so are main reason.

Question 2

Attitudes of governors

Answer 2

• Ideologies of governors, e.g. extreme emphasis on property rights = governor Phillip granting land to freed convicts and settlers wanting Aborigines off ‘their’ land.
  § Aborigines relied on land for hunting + many convicts feared and despised Aborigines.
• Macquarie elitist attitude = ‘civilising mission’ aimed civilisation of savages giving them ‘knowledge, virtue and happiness’ - illustrates paternalistic attitudes = policies and programmes resulting worsened position.

Question 3

Policies of governors

Answer 3

Governor’s policies contributed as many were needlessly militaristic and created a racially motivated hierarchy, e.g.
- Governor King ordered soldiers to patrol farms and shoot any Dharug on site.
Macquarie forbade Aborigines carrying weapons within 2km of house or town = defencelessness and he authorised settlers to establish vigilante groups and formed 3 new military outposts.
- Governor Arthur brought in arguably genocidal policies, e.g. settled districts for Aborigines + ‘Black line’ to round up Aborigines.
- Illustrate how responsible governors are.

Question 4

British government

Answer 4

• Brit gov has some responsibility as kept sending convicts exacerbating the land issue and reinforcing increasingly inferior position Aboriginals had.
• But not main reason as: sent clear instructions to seek friendly relations and ‘colncilate their affections’, little communication so gov couldn’t control policy on the ground, treatment worse in Tasmania so governors main reason as both settlements given same orders from bit gov.

Question 5

Settlers

Answer 5

• Settlers, especially convicts caused small-scale violent conflicts with Aborigines causing authorities to intervene and escalate the confrontation resulting in harsher Aboriginal policies.
• Settlers has sheep farms, by 1827 were over 400,00 sheep in Van Diemen’s Land, depriving Aborigine’s traditional lands - but land granted by governors so they’re still main reason as they were ultimately the ones in control.

Question 6

Conclusion

Answer 6

• Fully agree
• Brit gov more of paternalistic figure for too far away to have any real influence.
• Settlers only affected things at a local level.
• Was governors who had almost unlimited powers so are main reason for deteriorating position of Aborigines.