Table Of ContentHISTORICAL DICTIONARIES OF PEOPLES AND CULTURES
Jon Woronoff, Series Editor
Kurds, by Michael M. Gunter, 2004. Out of print. See No. 8.
Inuit, by Pamela R. Stern, 2004.
Druzes, by Samy Swayd, 2006.
Southeast Asian Massif, by Jean Michaud, 2006.
Berbers (Imazighen), by Hsain Ilahiane, 2006.
Tamils, by Vijaya Ramaswamy, 2007.
Gypsies, 2nd ed., by Donald Kenrick, 2007.
Kurds, 2nd ed., by Michael M. Gunter, 2011.
Jews, by Alan Unterman, 2011.
Catalans, by Helena Buffery and Elisenda Marcer, 2011.
Australian Aborigines, by Mitchell Rolls and Murray Johnson, 2011.
BBooookk 11..iinnddbb ii 1111//1188//1100 77::4488 AAMM
BBooookk 11..iinnddbb iiii 1111//1188//1100 77::4488 AAMM
Historical Dictionary
of Australian Aborigines
Mitchell Rolls
Murray Johnson
Introduction by Henry Reynolds
Historical Dictionaries of
Peoples and Cultures, No. 11
The Scarecrow Press, Inc.
Lanham • Toronto • Plymouth, UK
2011
BBooookk 11..iinnddbb iiiiii 1111//1188//1100 77::4488 AAMM
Published by Scarecrow Press, Inc.
A wholly owned subsidiary of The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc.
4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200, Lanham, Maryland 20706
http://www.scarecrowpress.com
Estover Road, Plymouth PL6 7PY, United Kingdom
Copyright © 2011 by Mitchell Rolls and Murray Johnson
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by
any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval
systems, without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who
may quote passages in a review.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Information Available
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Rolls, Mitchell, 1960-
Historical dictionary of Australian Aborigines / Mitchell Rolls, Murray Johnson ;
introduction by Henry Reynolds.
p. cm. — (Historical dictionaries of peoples and cultures ; no. 11)
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 978-0-8108-5997-5 (cloth : alk. paper) — ISBN 978-0-8108-7475-6 (ebook)
1. Aboriginal Australians—History—Dictionaries. 2. Aboriginal Australians—
Dictionaries. I. Johnson, Murray, 1956- II. Title.
DU123.4.R65 2011
305.89'915003—dc22
2010037785
™
The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of
American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper
for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992.
Printed in the United States of America
BBooookk 11..iinnddbb iivv 1111//1188//1100 77::4488 AAMM
Contents
Editor’s Foreword Jon Woronoff vii
Acknowledgments ix
Note on Orthography xi
Acronyms and Abbreviations xiii
Maps
Australian Aboriginal Tribes xv
Australia xvi
Chronology xix
Introduction 1
THE DICTIONARY 9
Bibliography 185
About the Authors 213
v
BBooookk 11..iinnddbb vv 1111//1188//1100 77::4488 AAMM
BBooookk 11..iinnddbb vvii 1111//1188//1100 77::4488 AAMM
Editor’s Foreword
Of the various people examined in this series, few have felt the effects of
European colonization to the same extent as the Australian Aborigines. Yet,
when the Aboriginal people first set foot on this vast continent, perhaps
60,000 years ago, they were in the vanguard of human cultural development.
By 35,000 years ago, they had spread throughout the land, occupying and
adapting to a host of environmental conditions, ranging from sub-antarctic
tundra in the south to tropical rainforest in the north and arid desert in the
interior. Not surprisingly, this ensured that Aboriginal culture itself diversi-
fied widely, although without exception, all aspects of life were intrinsically
linked to the territory of each particular group.
From 1788, however, the world of the Aboriginal people began to collapse
when the British laid claim to Australia. Frontier conflict, introduced disease,
loss of land, and the depletion of natural resources, all contributed to their
dramatic demographic collapse. By the late 19th century, it appeared the
Aborigines were destined to become extinct, which to some extent accounts
for the confused British-Australian official policies that wavered between
assimilation and segregation. But the Aboriginal people did not die out as
expected; indeed, their resistance gradually strengthened, and although they
remain today as a minority group within the broader Australian community,
they have achieved considerable gains. Australian Aborigines today have full
citizenship and political rights, and many groups have seen the return of their
traditional land. Yet while Aboriginal art, literature, and other aspects of cul-
ture are increasingly respected by their fellow Australians, Aboriginal people
still face numerous social and economic barriers to further advancement, and
their overall circumstances remain far from satisfactory.
The Historical Dictionary of Australian Aborigines deals with all these is-
sues, which has been a difficult task. The Aborigines are not a united commu-
nity, and their lived experiences have differed widely throughout Australia.
Nonetheless, through the chronology and introduction, it is possible to gain
a clear understanding of these people, the effects of European colonization,
and how they have managed to accomplish a cultural renaissance. More ex-
acting details are then accessible through the many dictionary entries, which
focus on the history, economy, society, and culture of the Aboriginal past and
vii
BBooookk 11..iinnddbb vviiii 1111//1188//1100 77::4488 AAMM
viii (cid:129) EDITOR’S FOREWORD
present. The entries also include significant people, places, institutions, con-
cepts, and traditions. Fortunately, Aboriginal issues have increasingly gained
significance in recent decades, and the bibliography includes an impressive
array of books and articles.
This volume was written by two academics, Mitchell Rolls and Murray
Johnson. Dr. Rolls is senior lecturer and codirector of the Riawunna Centre
for Aboriginal Studies at the University of Tasmania, with his major research
focus being cultural identity, race, and representation. Dr. Johnson has taught
Australian and Aboriginal history at the University of Queensland, the
Australian National University, and is also now at the Riawunna Centre for
Aboriginal Studies. The introduction was produced by the eminent historian,
Professor Henry Reynolds, who holds an honorary position at the University
of Tasmania. All three have published extensively in their particular fields.
Between them, they tell the story of a people who, despite being the subject
of continuous research and scrutiny, deserve to be better known.
Jon Woronoff
Series Editor
BBooookk 11..iinnddbb vviiiiii 1111//1188//1100 77::4488 AAMM
Acknowledgments
Producing a dictionary is a complex task, and the authors are grateful for the
invaluable assistance of those who helped and whose interest sustained our
efforts. Three research assistants contributed prompt, thorough, and cheerful
support. Helena Kajlich’s assistance at the initial stage was instrumental.
In the latter stages and at short notice, Nick Brodie undertook the tasks of
drafting the chronology and painstakingly checking the bibliography. Pauline
Marsh assisted as a researcher and with administrative matters. We thank
Simon Barnard for producing the map and responding patiently to the many
amendments we requested. Henry Reynolds wrote the introduction for us,
assisted in drafting the bibliography, and read through the entries with care.
We are grateful for his advice. The dictionary would not have been completed
but for Murray Johnson’s agreeing to be a coauthor at a late stage in the proj-
ect. We thank Jon Woronoff, the series editor, for his interest in this project,
patience, and advice. Queries, and they were multiple, were always promptly
answered. We owe many heartfelt thanks to Lyn McGaurr, whose meticulous
editing of our manuscript draft we could not have done without. Steadfastly
professional, Lyn’s attention to detail not only helped reduce errors and
inconsistencies but also contributed to the clarity of the entries. Jaime Cave
provided urgent invaluable assistance preparing the final manuscript, and we
thank her very much. Finally, we are grateful for the support of Riawunna, the
Centre for Aboriginal Studies at the University of Tasmania, Australia, and
for the support and assistance of our academic and administrative colleagues.
ix
BBooookk 11..iinnddbb iixx 1111//1188//1100 77::4488 AAMM
Description:The Australian Aborigines first arrived on the continent at least 60,000 years ago. They almost certainly landed on the northwest coast by sea from the nearby islands of the Indonesian archipelago. That first arrival may have been replicated many times over. The following exploration and settlement
