ABSTRACT
The aim of this chapter is to explore the history of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of Australia, by introducing the reader to pre-penal colonial and Australia’s penal colonial history and the impact of these historical events on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We will look at some of the issues around marginalisation, oppression and dispossession and what those experiences meant to culture, identity, power and human rights. Immediate consequences included displacement and economic exploitation of Aboriginal labour and resources, such as land and water.
