Genetic evidence rewrites 1788 Aboriginal population history
New research estimates the 1788 Indigenous population at a median of 2.22 million. This far exceeds the century-old estimate of 300,000.
New research published in Nature Human Behaviour estimates the 1788 Indigenous population at a median of 2.22 million. A likely range is 1 to 4 million.
An estimate of 300,000 came from anthropologist Alfred Reginald Radcliffe-Brown in 1930. Radcliffe-Brown's work was based mostly on observations made after disease and violence had devastated Indigenous communities.
The new study used genetic, archaeological, and environmental evidence not found in colonial records. The estimate shows that over 90% of Indigenous people died in the 70 years after the British invasion.
Documented causes include disease outbreaks from smallpox, frontier killings, forced displacement, and family separation. Structural violence also played a role, including forced labour and policies that stopped traditional food gathering.
- 2.22 million in 1788
- New median estimate
- 300,000 in 1930
- Old estimate
- 1 to 4 million
- Likely range
- 70 years after 1788 invasion
- Population loss period
Why it mattersThe finding changes how Australians understand the scale of colonisation's impact and Indigenous population loss.
AustraliaThis research reshapes national understanding of pre-colonial Indigenous population and the true human cost of colonisation.
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 9 d ago
