Oh dear, poor Ozzie. You really don't have a clue do you poor bugger.

Let me try and help you understand just the basics because the complex nature of pre-colonial Aboriginal societies (note the plural because Aboriginal people have never been homogeneous with vast differences in lifestyle, diets and culture between people living in deserts, alpine country, savannah country and rainforest) would clearly be too difficult for someone of your ingrained bigotry.

No Ozzie if we hadn't arrived and dispossessed them Aborigines would not "still be stuck in the desert, chasing food when possible and killing each others tribes."

Aboriginal nations occupied every inch of this country; desert, rainforest, savannah, mulga country and all the rest. In their management of their own lands they developed some of the world's most complex society structures, kinship systems, religious beliefs and land management techniques. This fact is acknowledged by those who, unlike yourself, take the time to investigate rather than just run off at the mouth.

All the estimates that I have read based on quality historic and scientific data points to an average Aboriginal life span at the time of european invasion of this continent TWICE that of the poor bastards on the first fleet. European life expectancy was 35 or 40 years of age at the end of the 18th century, whereas Aboriginal life expectancy was estimated at around 70 - 80 years. But heh, Ozzie, never let the facts get in the way of a long held prejudice mate!

Nioe article, Joshua Lloyd. Your experience pretty well matches my own, with respect to the obvious racism towards Aborigines in rural and regional Australia. That Australian society is still deeply racist towards Indigenous people is evidenced by the defensive comments above.

I agree with BigAl in particular:

<< Read history, learn about the past, open your hearts, befriend your Aboriginal neighbours and become real Australians not the ignorant bigots you currently demonstrate yourselves to be. >>

Well said indeed.

As for this:

individual: << Racism is real, it's in every society, it's a fact of all life even in the animal world. >>

I put it to you that you haven't got a clue as to what constitutes racism. Here's a clue - animals aren't racist, it's a specifically human phenomenon. Stop bleating about matters in which you clearly have little experience or knowledge, and follow BigAl's advice above.

Examinator is right, for once. There is much white on white violence today.

Of course, that only started happening since we let all these bl00dy foreigners migrate here.

PS. almost half of my school football team, in country NSW were aboriginals. As hooker I swung between two big ones. One of them is the only school "mate" I am still in contact with, my only school time friend. Funny, at school I always thought he was a "W0G", not part aboriginal.

Ouch ozzie, even Pauline Hanson would be embarrassed.

This is a great article, well-written and thoughtful. A shame that the less intellectually gifted OLO readers decided to comment first. But then the shallow end of the gene pool isn't always the quietest!

Poor article. There are issues, serious ones at that but a few name calling events in private do little to expose them. In fact just make people yawn. Middle Class rich white kids well trotted out proof, heard it before and no doubt will hear it again. How long now we have had these lazy attacks on the wrong targets?

BigAl,
Would you care to provide the references for your claims that Aboringines had 1) ".... developed some of the world's most complex society structures, .......and land management techniques." and 2) "Aboringinal life expectancy was estimated at around 70-80 years."
Thanks.