Unsettling the Past: Revisiting Australia’s Indigenous Population Numbers

A recent study published in Nature Human Behaviour has sparked a long-overdue reckoning with Australia’s colonial past. The discovery that pre-European indigenous populations numbered over 2 million people, not the previously estimated 300,000, is a damning indictment of the systematic destruction of Indigenous cultures and communities.

The flaws in previous estimates are evident when examining the records from which they were derived. Colonial records often relied on simplistic headcounts, ignoring the complexities of pre-colonial societies. The 1971 census only counted those living on missions and reserves, while people of mixed ancestry were systematically excluded from these numbers, as if their existence was somehow less valid.

Historians have long been aware that the numbers were not accurately reflected in colonial records. As Corey Bradshaw noted in an interview with The Guardian, “If you’re a frontier farmer, a colonialist that came out to a new area, and you were trying to remove people from ‘your’ land, you’re not going to write extensively about how many people you killed to do that.” This deliberate obscuration of the truth has been perpetuated by those who benefited from the dispossession of Indigenous Australians.

The methods used in this study – radiocarbon dating, genetic reconstruction, and environmental modelling – are robust and unassailable. They paint a picture of a population that was systematically decimated by disease, violence, and forced relocation. The demographic catastrophe that unfolded after 1788 is staggering, with an estimated 93% decrease in Indigenous populations between 1788 and 1861.

The implications of these findings are far-reaching and uncomfortable, challenging the very foundations of Australian history and identity. As Larissa Behrendt noted, “These research findings challenge us to rethink the scale of what happened after 1788. We are not talking about a marginal consequence of colonization but a demographic catastrophe at the heart of the Australian story.”

The study’s revelations also underscore the need for accountability and justice. The terra nullius myth that underpinned British invasion has been thoroughly debunked, as have countless other studies. It is time to confront the uncomfortable truth: Australia’s past is built on the destruction of Indigenous cultures and communities.

Reconciliation will require a fundamental shift in how we tell our national story. This will not be easy, but it is essential for creating shared understanding of our past. As Bradshaw noted, “Facing the scale of an uncomfortable past isn’t to assign blame but to create shared understanding of our past.” The study is a call to action – a reminder that the stories we tell about ourselves have consequences.

As we move forward, it is crucial to prioritize Indigenous voices and perspectives. We must listen to their experiences, validate their cultures, and learn from their histories. This is not only a matter of social justice but also a collective responsibility to confront the past and forge a more just future.