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Terra Nullius means "land that belongs to no-one".

This applied to indigenous Australians from the time James Cook charted the eastern coast because the British did not recognise that the indigenous people of Australia were the rightful "owners" of the land. Because the Aborigines were seen as little more than black savages, the British considered that Australia belonged to no-one and that it was within their right to claim the land as their own, and to do with it (and its people) whatever they wished.

The British sought to expand their empire, and so they applied the doctrine of 'terra nullius' to Australia as that gave them the right to claim and occupy the continent.

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What was the doctrine of terra nullius?

Terra Nullius means "land that belongs to no-one". This doctrine applied to Australia in 1788 when the British did not recognise that the indigenous people of Australia were the rightful "owners" of the land. Because the Aborigines were seen as little more than black savages, the British considered that Australia belonged to no-one and that it was within their right to claim the land as their own, and to do with it (and its people) whatever they wished. The British sought to expand their empire, and so they applied the doctrine of 'terra nullius' to Australia as that gave them the right to claim and occupy the continent.


What is the old constitution that applied to the native peoples of Australia?

The Australia constitution applies to all Australians, there has never been a Constitution just for the Australian Aboriginal people.


What effect did terra nullius have on Australia?

Terra Nullius means "land that belongs to no-one".By applying this concept to Australia in 1788, it simplified the act of colonisation of Australia by the British. Great Britain sought to expand its empire, and so the country applied the doctrine of 'terra nullius' to Australia as that gave them the right to claim and occupy the continent. Britain was able to prove to the satisfaction of its judicial system that Australia was terra nullius - a land without ownership - because the English found difficulty in locating any individual(s) able to negotiate a treaty with the indigenous inhabitants.


What doctrine was applied by the taney court?

The Taney Court (1837-1864) applied the doctrine of dual federalism.


What is Aboriginal people?

Aboriginal people are people before colonization, normally called indigenous people. Term "Aboriginal" is normally applied to people who inhabited Australia before European colonization.


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Who brought the first system of laws to Australia and when?

Australia is a Commonwealth country, meaning that it is an original colony of the British Empire. The British system of law was implemented in may 1787 when the first fleet arrived, ruling the land a Terra Nullius and applying the 'Doctrine of Reception'. It is this doctrine that applied British law to the colonies and the land of Australia which was found to have been wrongly administered in the 1992 decision of the Mabo Case. It was found that for law to properly be administered, the land must have been conquered and then a law of Britain and Indigenous culture implemented.


Why did the British use the words terra nullius?

Terra Nullius means "land that belongs to no-one".This applied to Australia in 1788 because the British did not recognise that the indigenous people of Australia were the rightful "owners" of the land. Because the Aborigines were seen as little more than black savages, the British considered that Australia belonged to no-one and that it was within their right to claim the land as their own, and to do with it (and its people) whatever they wished.


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