it_is_the_light wrote on Aug 16
th, 2017 at 3:32pm:
Well, considering that the aborigines had not invented chains, and the picture was taken in black and white, and these aborigines are looking fit and healthy instead of fat or emaciated we would assume that white colonials or white Australians took the photo. Therefore, the aborigines featured were chained up by white people.
As far as my knowledge of aborigines go, they were mainly killed from introduced diseases. Even the common cold was enough to kill them. But I would assume that uncleanly conditions from a 6 month boat journey would have lead to people contracting much worse illnesses than the common cold.
Interesting facts were that the settlers of the first and second fleet were constantly robbed of food by aborigines. Many of the times, aborigines saw how poor condition the settlers were, that the aborigines would simply walk into camps and steal the food (and sometimes tools) of the settlers.
And if you are so interested, it was white colonials that prevented the eradication of aborigines. I am well aware that hunting parties were sent out to kill off scores of aborigines. And I am well aware that introduced diseases killed off 90% of aborigines. But if the 1901 government (and its earlier colonial government) did not provide for aborigines by the late 1800s, then the aborigines would be as extinct as the dodo bird.
Face it, had the successful governors and governments of the region pursued an ignore and self-defence policy against aborigines, aborigines would have died off long before the 21 century. They might not have made it to the 1940s.
On the whole, had Australia not been settled by the British or other European countries in the 18th century, you might well be seeing Indonesia claiming Australia. They would undoubtedly have little concern for the welfare of aborigines. Let us keep this all in perspective. Whilst you might bring pictures up of aborigines in chains, keep in mind the free handouts, the support and other things that descendants of these victims receive today seem to undo any sympathy I have for those who suffered. Their problems are now over.