violence against the innocent Aborigines.This source suggests convicts agreed that the government were in the wrong by persecuting the white colonists, consequently implying that the convicts were more opposed to the ethnic minorities than the governing class, who were trying to hold those violent colonists accountable for their actions (The Sydney Herald, 14 November 1828, p.2). Ethnic equality conclusion: No progress Whilst there were some minor instances of equality between the two opposing ethnic groups, they were extremely rare, and the concept of ethnic equality was an idea that not even the liberal convicts could accept. Predominantly, it may have been the governing class that exacerbated tensions between the new settlements and the Natives - they declared war, limited their human rights through the pretence of ‘protectionism’, and ultimately eradicated their culture by dispossessing their sacred lands - although they did bring some justice to the Indigenous population in court, following the Myall Creek massacre. However, overall, neither the convicts nor the free settlers had a positive impact on ethnic equality, both bore responsibility for the destruction of Indigenous communities and their culture. In conclusion, there was little progression attributed to any parties regarding the development of racial equality in Australia. The impact of the ‘Convict stain’ The dominant culture in Australia remained stubbornly British for a long time and the ‘convict stain’, or reputation for being a nation of former convicts, took a heavy toll on the country. Australian culture was positioned as backward, rude and uncouth in the decades to come.The myth that most Australians were descended from convicts, and were consequently uncivilised, flourished (Godfrey, n.d.). However, nowadays the convict history is celebrated and has an overwhelmingly positive impact on the economy, as it is widely recognised to encourage large volumes of tourism.Australia has a network of eleven convict sites designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, in which the buildings and areas of land of Australia’s first penal system are preserved and open to the public. Additionally, a playful portrayal of Australia’s convict past in the opening ceremony of the 2000 Sydney Olympics reflects the pride the country has for its convict roots. In Australia now, convicts are seen by many as the founders of the State, and that a triumph of rebellious spirit emerged from a flawed criminal justice system (Godfrey, n.d).The proportion of the Australian population that has convict lineage is unknown, however it is estimated to be lower
protection policies that subjected Indigenous people to a dictatorship society.They were denied basic human rights, such as freedom of movement and labour, custody of their children and control over personal property (Australian’s Together, 2020). However, protection meant their inclusion in the census population-returns, their access to equal wages (or even any wages in some cases), land rights, enquiries into Black Death in Custody, and Stolen Generations. But only in the 21st century was there any public recognition of the damage done to the Indigenous people and was any symbolic action taken, with an official apology issued by Parliament in 2008 for the ill- treatment of their nation’s predecessors. Moreover, there is some evidence of collaboration between the dissimilar groups. Indigenous people helped to return some runaway convicts back to the penal colony, perhaps to stop them settling on their own land, but the notion remains the same – some amicable conversation had to take place for this to occur.
In addition, there is evidence of some fair treatment of the Indigenous people. For example, following the Myall Creek massacre of 1838 - an entirely unprovoked attack on an unsuspecting gathering of Aboriginal men, women and children - the State rightly prosecuted the alleged perpetrators and urged the jury to acquit.The Sydney Herald newspaper (1838) responded fervently, engaging in fake news (as seen in the extract above), accusing the government of failing to protect white settlers under threat from the ‘savages’.The paper even went as far as to entice colonists to ‘SHOOT THEM DEAD, if you can’ – actively encouraging
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