Submitted by Paul Daley on
A dive into the hidden histories of Australia’s early settlers shows the country wasn’t just built on the sheep’s back
As the decades shed ever more light on colonialism’s brutal treatment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, Australia has sought reassurance that at least, unlike Britain and America, our history is not marred with the heinous stain of the Caribbean and African slave trade.
But groundbreaking historical research must now give pause for reconsideration. It transpires that some of the scions of colonial society established themselves in Australia with wealth earned through slavery and official compensation for the loss of income from it when the British government eventually abolished the trade in dark-skinned humans.
Related: Lisbon museum plan stirs debate over Portugal's colonial past
Related: Universities must follow Glasgow and own up to their role in the slave trade | Afua Hirsch
- Log in to post comments