MISSIONS AND MISSIONARY ACTIVITY Historical context of Missionary

MISSIONS AND MISSIONARY ACTIVITY Historical context of Missionary Activity

Theories attempting to explain the hierarchy of human beings Such theories popular in Europe and imported to Australia Whites Peoples of colour Blacks Colonists believed Aborigines inferior and a dying race

Colonisation was…. The establishment, often by violent physical force and military power, of British colonies on the Australian continent.

Colonisation … Removed aborigines from their traditional lands Destroyed their sacred sites and essential resources Disrupted their systems of hunting and gathering Killed the means for their sustenance

Colonisation also… Introduced foreign diseases such as tuberculosis, measles and whooping cough Brought foreign vices such as alcohol Made Aborigines dependent upon white rations and handouts of sugar, flour, tea and blankets.

Colonisation institutionalised the systematic exploitation of Aborigines as forced labourers Young Aboriginal girls to serve as domestics – often forced to also be sexual partners Young Aboriginal boys were made to work as stockmen or drovers

Aborigines were relegated to Gathering and sleeping in fringe camps. The outskirts of white towns, farms and other settlements.

The churches, instead of condemning this shameful state of affairs, made it worse.

The Churches claimed Christianity had a unique relationship with the one true God. Christianity alone offered salvation to all humanity. Viewed Christian values as being supreme.

Christian missionaries, therefore, Were determined to change not only the religion of the Aborigines, but also their culture which the missionaries found unacceptable to their own cultural value system.