Aboriginal Holocaust Document
One Of Many Racist Texts Published In Australian Newpapers, Advocating Aboriginal Genocide
This text from a 19th century Queensland newpaper needs no comment. The blatantly racist, genocidal ideology speaks for itself. But has anything changed?
Blatant Genocide
"...Is there room for both of us here? No. Then the sooner the weaker is wiped out the better, as we may save some valuable lives by the process. If the black-fellow is right in murdering white men for invading and taking possession of his country, then every white man, woman and child who sits at home at ease in our towns and townships is a murderer, for if they had the courage of their opinions they would not stop on in a colony built up on bloodshed and rapine.
...Hide it as you will, our policy towards the black is bad, but it is only the game we played all over the world; and it starts with the original occupation of the country, and any other policy would be equally outrageous that entailed the taking of the land from the blacks. By its very presence... (a philanthropic group) recognises the utility, to put it mildly, of dispossessing the blacks, and until it takes its departure to another country, and there preaches its sermon, its voice has a very hypocritical ring about it. We all want to get on here, and we all want to get somebody else to the do work needful; and if there is any dirty work we are in a position to do so. This is the black question, as put forward by the protectors of the poor savage...
The unanswerable fact remains that by overrunning this or any other country we expose the natives to the chances of suffering the rigors of guerilla warfare - always the cruellest and worst - and, knowing that, we come here and take up our quarters with our eyes open... We are all savages; look beneath the thin veneer of our civilisation and we are very identical with the blacks; but we have this one thing not in common - we, the invading race, have a principle hard to define... there is a whisper that we too by some strange chance may be known to posterity. This brings us here to wrest the lands of a weaker race from their feeble grasp and build up a country that our children shall inherit; and this feeling is unknown to the native of Australia... he never seeks to improve land for those who will come after him. This justifies our presence here... the sooner we clear the weak useless race away the better. ...We are pursuing the same policy in Zululand and Afghanistan, and, I suppose, on a more barbarous scale; the recital of all the atrocities going, of all the shooting and slaying... never alters the fact that, once we are here, we are committed as accessories, and that to prove the fidelity of our opinions we should leave the country."
Contemporary Equivalent
The mainstream government and media pundit response to such texts is that we can't judge history based on today's ethics. But are things any different today? This 19th century text said that if people didn't like the idea of genocide, then they should leave the country. Surely this wouldn't happen in today's "enlightened" society? Or would it?
Some Australians I know recently returned from their outback holiday to show me their photos of pioneer and explorer sites now infamous due to revelations of native massacres and exploitation. One of the photos that they very pointedly displayed to me was a poster from one such site, entitled, "You have the right to leave!" The text elaborated that if you didn't like Australia's history or policies, then you should simply leave the country and stop spoiling it for everybody else by complaining. So much for free speech. This was shown to me with a pointedly "So There!" tone.
"Aussie Heritage" Texts
Australia's most famous and beloved poet, Banjo Patterson, once wrote, "We may not hope to see such men in these degenerate years, / As those explorers of the bush, the brave old pioneers." Unfortunately, he was wrong. We still see plenty "such men in these degenerate years". And they are still supporting racist, genocidal ideology, and still suggesting that those who don't "should leave the country".
These people are so comfortable with this, because every aspect of their nation's culture supports them. Even their national anthem is called, "Advance Australia Fair".
As Oodgeroo Noonuccal says, "Let noone say the past is dead. The past is all around us and within."
For more, read my related article, Terrorist Attack On Aborigines
For more documents on the Australian Aboriginal Holocaust, such as the 19th century newspaper text in this article, read Henry Reynolds' book, "This Whispering In Our Hearts"
