Busting the myth of peaceful settlement

“During the first half of the 20th century the Aborigines (sic) were written out of Australian history. This had the convenient effect of hiding much of the domestic bloodshed, allowing the celebration of what came to be viewed as a uniquely peaceful history of settlement… For generations weaned on this soothing syrup the new history of the frontier came as an unwelcome revelation and one often stoutly resisted.”
Henry Reynolds ^[1]

For most of the 20th century, many Australians were taught about the peaceful settlement of Australia, featuring stirring tales of pioneer grit and endurance. In the words of historian, Henry Reynolds, in this peaceful account of Australia’s colonisation “the frontier became a site of struggle with the land, not a fight for possession of it. The national narrative became one of a hard and heroic fight against nature itself rather than one of ruthless spoliation and dispossession. The squatter and the bushman became national heroes… No one wanted to notice the blood on their hands.” ^[2]