The Bunganditj : European invasion and the economic basis of social collapse

Abstract

This thesis is a contact history of the Bunganditj, a tribe located in the Lower South East of South Australia. From 1841 the Bunganditj faced pastoral settlement by Europeans and as a consequence the tribe was destroyed. The study focuses on the first three decades of European settlement and examines the causes of the tribe's social collapse and population decline. The principal theme is the economic basis of social collapse, while a secondary theme is the impact of Government policy. The thesis is divided into two parts; the first describes Bunganditj society at the time of contact, and the second is an analysis of contact. Given the stress placed on the influence of traditional society on the process of contact, the description of Bunganditj society is relatively detailed.