Science & Indigenous Australians

From the 1960's, Australian State governments began framing aboriginal land rights legislation.

They drew on anthropological studies which began in the previous century, when Aborigines were being moved off their traditional lands.

During this time there were people with sufficient curiosity and respect to begin recording aspects of Aboriginal life; men such as Edward John Eyre, George Grey and George French Angas.

Writing in the 1840's, Grey and Eyre were in no doubt that the Aboriginal people they met saw themselves as land owners.