An Inquiry into: The Effects of the

European Settlement
Year 4 Curriculum link:
ACHASSK084
Guiding Questions

1. Who was the European Settlement

2. What effects did they have on the Indigenous people
3. What effects did they have on the land/ Environment
4. How have these effects transpired into the 21st century
Prior Knowledge before Inquiry process

 The European settlement occurred in 1788 comprised of sailors and convicts

 When the new settlers came to Australia, they brought along new diseases and exposed them to the natural
inhabitants
 Much violence occurred between the Indigenous and European people
 The indigenous people suffered significant land loss
 The Stolen generation – this still proves to be an issue in todays society as it has brought great devastation to
the indigenous community
 They brought new animals to Australia which lead to competition for food, water and shelter. This causes
species to become endangered and also spread diseases a lot quicker
What are primary and secondary sources

Primary Sources Secondary Sources

Historical pictures Websites

Historical documents Scholarly journal/articles

Art An interpretation of data

Laws/ legislations/ treaty Documentaries

Diaries/ letters Biographies

 Relevant sources for:
1. Who was the European Settlement

Primary Secondary
• Sketches and paintings which show the people that • Documentaries
settled in Australia https://education.abc.net.au/home#!/media/1957482
https://www.digitalpanopticon.org/Convicts_and_th /first-fleet
e_Colonisation_of_Australia,_1788-1868 • Websites
• Diary entries from the first https://
www.sl.nsw.gov.au/stories/terra-australis-australia https://www.nla.gov.au/digital-classroom/year-4/t
/journals-first-fleet hemes/first-fleet
• Website https://australianstogether.org.au/discover/
australian-history/colonisation/
Q1 Findings

 Several diary entries from members of the first fleet state who the European settlers were. These records can
be found in state libraries across Australia. These entries are from key members of the expedition (NSW
State Library (2020 ).
 Documentaries such source 3 show why European settlers travelled to Australia. This documentary clearly
outlines the amount of ships that where apart of the first settlers and what they brough with them on their
journey (ABC Education (2014).
 Sketches and paintings show what the early settlement looked like. It shows how colonization begun in
Sydney and who was involved in this (Maxwell (2020) (National Library of Australia (2020).
 Source 5 outlines Captain Cooks possession of Australia for England. It also outlines key events that took
place upon the arrival of the settlers/ explorers. This includes the conflict between the Indigenous people and
the spread of new diseases (Australians Together (2020).
Relevant sources for:
2. What effects did they have on the Indigenous
people
Primary
• Paintings
https://sites.google.com/site/aboriginalnutritionplan/
home/the-impact-of-invasion-and-governmnet-polic
ies-on-aboriginal-people-in-regards-to-health
• Drawings https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv
/explainer/what-were-frontier-wars
Secondary
• Government Websites
https://www.alrc.gov.au/publication/recognition-of-
aboriginal-customary-laws-alrc-report-31/3-aborigi
nal-societies-the-experience-of-contact/impacts-of-s
ettlement-on-aboriginal-people/
• Website
https://aboriginallife-europeansettlement.weebly.c
om/effect-on-population.html
Q2 Findings

 Paintings such as the one in source 6 show the claiming of land by the European settlers. This is a major event
that took place and caused the native Indigenous people to loss their land and homes (Brown (2020).
 Source 7 shows the Frontier Wars that started in 1788 and lasted till as late as 1934. As many as 30,000
Indigenous people were killed. But many historians believed that the Indigenous population was cut by 90%. This
was all caused by the European settlers wanting full control of the new country they had found (Booth (2017)
 Websites based by the Australian Government provide a great secondary source of information. Source 8 talks
about a wide variety of effects that the impact of settlement has cause Indigenous people. It talks about the
unlawful loss of land and the disadvantages that their people are still facing (Australian Government (2010).
 Source 9 talks about the impact of disease and how it killed many Indigenous people. Through the new European
settlers, diseases were brought to Australia and caused many issues of the Indigenous people who had never been
exposed to them. Smallpox was seen to hundreds of thousands of people after it spread (Bunny (2015).
Relevant sources for:
3. What effects did they have on the land/
Environment
Primary Secondary
• Drawings/ paintings • Scholarly article
https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/us-histor https://www.jstor.org/stable/40387294
y/precontact-and-early-colonial-era/old-and-new-w • Websites https://www.abs.gov.au
orlds-collide/a/environmental-and-health-effects-of- /AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf
contact
• Diary entries https://www.nma.gov.au /Lookup/4613.0Chapter90Jan+2010
/defining-moments/resources/smallpox-epidemic
Q3 Findings

 Source 10 outlines the effects that colonization brought on the ecosystems. Whilst it brought in many new organisms it also
eliminated others. New diseases were also brought in which caused issues to the land and animals (Khan academy (2016).
 Diary entries such as in source 11 show the effects of the smallpox epidemic that occurred. This new disease was brought to
Australia by the European settlers and cause havoc on the natural inhabitants. Due to it never been in Australia and the
Indigenous people never being exposed it was fatal for them (National Museum Australia (2020).
 Scholarly articles such as source 12 outlines the effects the the European settler hand on the land. It talks about the changes
in the geochemistry of the land and the environmental disturbances that occurred (Gale, Haworth, Cook & Williams (2004).
 Source 13 talks about the modification of the Australian landscape by the European settlement. This is from urbanization,
agriculture, mining and infrastructure. Though this source did mention that through the European settlement it made
Australia into a mega-diverse country. This is due to Australia now hosting over 1 million species. This could never have
been done without the introduction of new species by the European settlement (Australian Bureau of Statistics (2010).
Relevant sources for:
4. How have these effects transpired into the
21st century
Primary Secondary
• Diary entries • Websites
https://libguides.stalbanssc.vic.edu.au/c.php?g=751 https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/first-peoples-s
496&p=5383105 afer-healthcare/0/steps/50671
• Pictures https://www.abc.net.au • Documentaries https://www.creativespirits.info/
/news/2017-06-15/stolen-generation-funding/86183 aboriginalculture
66 /politics/stolen-generations/a-guide-to-australias
-stolen-generations
Q4 Findings

 In source 14 it outlines all the areas of impact of the Indigenous people of Australia. Through the list of all the areas of
impacts it outline how these are still effecting Indigenous people today (St Albans College (2020).
 Source 15 outlines images of the stolen generation that was an impact caused by European settlement. Whilst it happened
many years later it is still seen to be a direct cause of how they were viewed by the settlers. The Indigenous community are
still facing the after math of this and are still seeking answers and forgiveness for this wrongdoing (Diss (2017).
 Source 16 talks of connecting the past with the present and outlines the intergenerational trauma. From the effects of the
European settlers and their ancestors it has caused physical, emotional and spiritual wounds for the Indigenous community.
The violence and cruelty over the many years towards them has caused intergenerational trauma which is still felt today
(Griffith University (2020).
 Documentaries such as source 17 show experts' opinions on the stolen generation. It talks of the abuse that was suffered and
the families that have been left traumatized for life. To this day many Indigenous people are still searching for their lost
family members. From this ongoing effects have been made apparent; these include mental illness, violence, alcoholism and
welfare dependance (Korff (2020).