An enlightened British colonizer

Charismatic tyrants of the last centurys

An enlightened British colonizer brought Western values to the indigenous people of Australia.
The eerie photo from the Wikimedia archives dates back to the early 20th century. Beginning in the 18th century, colonists deliberately exterminated Australians. They were driven from fertile lands and forced into ecologically unfavorable areas.

The indigenous Australians

At the same time, the indigenous Australians were infected with diseases to which they had no immunity, which led to epidemics. As a result, there was a sharp decline in numbers; by 1921, only 60,000 people remained.
The notion of British colonization as "enlightened" in Australia during the 18th century is highly contested. When the British arrived in 1788, they claimed Australia as *terra nullius* (land belonging to no one), disregarding the complex societies, cultures, and systems of governance that Indigenous Australians had maintained for tens of thousands of years.

Disregarded Indigenous autonomy

While some British colonizers believed they were bringing "civilization" and Western values, their presence initiated severe disruptions to Indigenous life, including violent conflicts, displacement, and exposure to diseases that devastated Indigenous populations. Colonial policies often disregarded Indigenous autonomy, customs, and spiritual connections to the land, resulting in a profound and lasting impact on Indigenous communities.

British colonization in Australia

Today, historians and scholars widely recognize that British colonization in Australia involved significant exploitation, cultural erasure, and human rights abuses, with long-lasting effects on Indigenous Australians' social and cultural lives. The narrative of a benevolent or enlightened colonization has been largely debunked and is considered an oversimplification that overlooks the complex and often tragic realities of colonization.