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Indigenous Australians and their culture have survived Britisch colonisation, despite astonishing suffering. Australia's indigenous population weren't officially classed as citizens until 1967. This in a country they had inhabited for 40.000 to 150.000 years. Between approximately 1869 and 1969, Aboriginal children were taken from their homes in a programme of 'assimilation' and never reconnected with their families. These children have become known as 'The Stolen Generations'. When European settlers first arrived, tens of thousands of indigenous people died from diseases they had no natural imunity to. In some places mass slaughters whiped out large swathes of the population. By 1876 there were no Aborigines left in Tasmania. The indigenous people lost their land and suffered from segregationist policies, not too dissimilar to those in apartheid-era South Africa. Today indigenous Australians make up just over two percent of the population. They suffer disproportionately from drug, alcohol and domestic abuse, while infant mortality rates are two to three times higher than white Australians. Life expectancy is about 17 years lower for black australians and Abirigines are 11 times more likely to be imprisoned than white Australians. You can see how they might still feel a bit cross about it that.

Aboriginal culture is thought to be world's oldest continously maintained culture. When the Brittish First Fleet sailed into Sydney in 1788, it is estimated that between 300.000 and 1.000 000 people inhabited Australia - with as many as 500 different clan groups and 250 languages. Their stories of 'The Dreamtime" refer to a distant age when spitit ancestors travelled the land, giving it its physical form and setting down the rules to be followed by the Aboriginal people. Stories of The Dreamtime, which include beings such as the Fertility Mother and the Great rainbow Snake, are passed on through oral teachings, songs, misic, art and ceremonies. For the record, the didgeridoo is exclusively a man's instrument and Aboriginal people find it offensive to see a woman play one.

There are varying viewpoints about the conduct of the colonising forces in the early years. The debate is ongoing and controversial, with Aboriginal people still seeking reconciliation. The opfficial schoolbook version of history maintains that the British did not wish to harm the Aboriginal people, only to hel them realise the benefits of living a 'civilized' life. But there was clearly immense harm done. Though some land claims have been succesful, various federal Gouvernments have avoided saying an official 'sorry' to the country's indigenous population. However, the new Labor PM Kevin Rudd has pleged to do so soon.

The Aboriginal flaf is divided horizontally into two equal halves of black and red, with a yellow circle in the centre. The black symbolises the skin of the Aboriginal people and the yellow represents the sun. Red depicts the earth and also represents orche, which is used by Aboriginal people in ceremonies.

For further information on indigenous Australia visit www. aboriginalaustralia.com or http://www.indigenousaustralia.frogandtoad.com.au/