Changes

== History==

== History==

=== Pre European Contact ===

=== Pre European Contact ===

Australia was originally inhabited by people who are commonly known as [[Aborigines]] although they come from over 700 smaller nations each with their own tribal name and language.  Over time, many of these nations and tribes lost their identity or were decimated by disease, poor nutrition, massacres by white settlers and the forced removal of children from their parents into white families or mission stations.  Nevertheless, many Aboriginal languages and traditions have survived the more than 200 years of white settlement. Under recent legislation recognising native title, Aboriginal communities now have the right to claim back land dispossessed from them where they can prove that lasting cultural links still persist and where the native title has not been extinguished by freehold or leasehold title.

Australia was originally inhabited by people who are commonly known as [[Australian Aborigines|Aborigines]] although they come from over 700 smaller nations each with their own tribal name and language.  Over time, many of these nations and tribes lost their identity or were decimated by disease, poor nutrition, massacres by white settlers and the forced removal of children from their parents into white families or mission stations.  Nevertheless, many Aboriginal languages and traditions have survived the more than 200 years of white settlement. Under recent legislation recognising native title, Aboriginal communities now have the right to claim back land dispossessed from them where they can prove that lasting cultural links still persist and where the native title has not been extinguished by freehold or leasehold title.

The original inhabitants of the [[Torres Strait Islands]] and far northern Queensland are different and are known as [[Torres Strait Islander]]s. These people are more closely related to [[Melanesian]]s than to Aborigines. The term usually used to include all indigenous Australians is "Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders".

The original inhabitants of the [[Torres Strait Islands]] and far northern Queensland are different and are known as [[Torres Strait Islander]]s. These people are more closely related to [[Melanesian]]s than to Aborigines. The term usually used to include all indigenous Australians is "Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders".