How did the aborigines affect Australia when they discovered it?

Answer 1

Because major gold discoveries were made in Victoria, this newly separated state suddenly found itself very wealthy. Businesses boomed, together with the population, and more people settled further out from the established towns, sparking interest and enthusiasm in exploration. All of the colonies experienced wealth in some form as a result of the goldrushes, whether by more business or Immigration.

Gold brought wealth to Australia, and with it, a new sense of identity, and the independence and confidence to push for Federation and the establishent of the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901. Basically, Australia no longer needed to be "piggybacked" by England any more.

Answer 2

Although the Aborigines were relatively few in number, did not construct permanent settlements, or engage in agriculture there is evidence that they had a significant impact upon the ecology of Australia. There were mass extinctions of large marsupial animal species (often referred to as megafauna) around the time of the arrival of the aborigines. Although it is still open to debate, it is generally accepted that these extinctions were due to aboriginal hunting and land management practices such as seasonal burning off vegetation.

Answer 3

The most notable effect gold discoveries had on the Australian Aborigines was the loss of the native lands as settlement spread further inland. Aborigines were forced further into the semi-arid interior, losing their rich hunting grounds of the bushland. The rush of diggers to the goldfields increased the problems of displacement of the Aborigines from their own land. The effects of gold mining on the land were devastating and long-lasting. Gold mining ripped up the land, polluted the rivers and creeks, and left nothing for the aboriginal people who had lived there for centuries. Aborigines were again dispossessed of their land as they had been time and time again since the arrival of the Europeans. After having been forced off tribal lands by settlers and pastoralists, the goldrush forced even more Aborigines deeper into the interior. However, it must also be noted that, with the new wealth of the country and expanding farming land, many Aborigines were given opportunities to work on the sheep and cattle stations. The cost of European labour had increased dramatically with the goldrush, and Aborigines were seen as a cheap alternative.

Aborigines rarely bothered to look for gold, but they were able to trade with the miners. Some of them even became members of the Native Police Corps, and many were employed as "black trackers".

The aboriginal people saw little value in gold for themselves. Gold not be eaten; it could not be used in any practical ways. The Aborigines benefitted more by offering their services as guides to potential diggers looking for new sites. Also, with the wave of workers leaving sheep and cattle stations for the goldfields, Aborigines had better prospects with employment there, rather than the goldfields.

See the link below for more information on how Aborigines benefitted from the gold rush.

Answer 4

kids had to live harshly with not enough support