From the first British settlement in 1788 to the 1930s, wars and resistance occurred across the continent of Australia. These were mortal conflicts between colonists and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people over land, water, resources and the ability to exist as a people. These were undeclared guerilla wars, waged through raids, killings and massacres. Colonisation, violence and resistance did not end but continued in different forms during the 'mission phase' and after. Sovereignty has never been ceded. Our aim is to collaboratively research, map and provide reliable information about each of these wars and the people involved.

Australian Wars and Resistance Movements

This map shows 39 areas where there were periods of intensity of open violence between colonists and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people on the colonial frontier, based on data from the Colonial Frontier Massacres in Australia, 1788-1930 project (ARC DP140100399). The methodology for producing this map was developed by Dr Bill Pascoe as part of the Historical Frontier Violence project (ARC DP220101336), and is supported by approximately 50 leading Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, historians and archaeologists.

This is the first step. We estimate there are roughly 10,000 events that comprise these wars and resistance movements, involving 100s of named and 1000s of unnamed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, as well as colonists. The next is to set up the infrastructure required to conduct and present the research. Then every war and resistance movement can be researched in turn, combining Indigenous Knowledge, archival research and IT.