A Warrior Tradition

Before European colonists arrived in Australia, the politics of Aboriginal land ownership was not without its tensions. Warfare, and violent struggles among men over land and women, were part of tradition.

Conflict was probably more frequent where high population densities were higher. And so, inter-group conflict and violence occurred more often in fertile country, such as along major river systems.

It also seemed to occur where expanding white settlement reduced the amount of uncolonised territory available to aboriginal people.