'They seem much pleased with us and very friendly': explaining cordial relations between the people of the Adelaide Plains and the early colonists, 1836-1839
Date
2020
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Krichauff, S.
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Journal article
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Journal of the Historical Society of South Australia, 2020; (48):5-23
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Skye Krichauff
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Abstract
Although initially cautious in making contact with the strangers who came from over the seas and set up their temporary dwellings at Cowandilla (Glenelg), within a few months a group of forty local Aboriginal people (comprised of men, women and children) camped alongside the newcomers. Aboriginal people assisted the colonists with lighting fires, hunting, and fetching water. They were confident in the colonists’ presence, and expressed their satisfaction with the colonists’ gifts of food and clothing. When the colonists shifted seven miles inland to the site Colonel Light selected for the province’s major settlement, Adelaide, Aboriginal people accompanied them. Drawing on a close reading of a range of primary sources and applying an anthropologically informed understanding of pre- and early-colonial Aboriginal society, this article analyses the nature and extent of early cross-cultural relations in the Adelaide district. Historical records indicate that, between 1836-1839, relations were, on the whole, positive, that local people initially welcomed Europeans onto their Country and none lost their lives through violent confrontations with Europeans. The colonial experience was diverse, and this article draws attention to factors requiring consideration when evaluating variations in cross-cultural relations between regions. It also illustrates the agency of Aboriginal people and the adaptability of their culture
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© Historical Society of South Australia, 2020