Groundbreaking inquiry concludes Britain committed genocide against indigenous Australians

(MENAFN) A groundbreaking inquiry led by Aboriginal commissioners has concluded that British colonists committed genocide against Indigenous communities in the Australian state of Victoria. The findings were released by the Yoorrook Justice Commission, which was established in 2021 as the first formal truth-telling body in Australia focused on past and ongoing injustices toward First Nations people.

According to the commission, violence, disease, and systemic abuses reduced Victoria’s Indigenous population by approximately 75% within just two decades of colonization, beginning in the early 1830s. The population fell from around 60,000 to just 15,000 by 1851.

"This was genocide," the report stated, citing a combination of mass killings, sexual violence, disease, forced assimilation, child removals, exclusion, cultural destruction, environmental degradation, and language extinction as contributors to what it described as the "near-complete physical destruction" of Aboriginal communities in the region.

Spanning four years, the inquiry involved over two months of public hearings and more than 1,300 submissions. It covered a wide range of issues including land rights, health, education, housing, and systemic racism.

The final report offered 100 recommendations aimed at addressing the legacy of colonization and the ongoing impact of what it described as invasion and occupation. These include calls for reparations, formal government apologies, and structural reforms in areas such as education and healthcare. It also urged greater inclusion of Indigenous voices in policymaking, particularly in teaching curricula and public health services.

One specific recommendation involved a formal apology to Aboriginal soldiers who served in the world wars but were denied land grants offered to other veterans. The commission also called for more Indigenous representation in the state’s healthcare system and increased funding for Aboriginal health services, citing "endemic" racism as a significant barrier to equitable care.

Despite the report’s strong findings, three of the five commissioners—Sue-Anne Hunter, Maggie Walter, and Anthony North—did not approve the inclusion of unspecified "key findings" in the final document. No additional explanation was provided.

The government of Victoria responded by promising to review the recommendations closely. Premier Jacinta Allan acknowledged the gravity of the commission’s conclusions, saying they "shine a light on hard truths."

Jill Gallagher, head of Victoria’s leading Aboriginal health and wellbeing organization, described the genocide finding as "indisputable" and emphasized the importance of acknowledging historical truth.
"We don't blame anyone alive today for these atrocities," she said, "but it is the responsibility of those of us alive today to accept that truth — and all Victorians today must accept, recognise and reconcile with these factual findings."

While this marks the first report of its kind in Australia, similar truth-telling processes are underway in other regions, though progress varies by political leadership. In Queensland, for example, a comparable inquiry was recently canceled after a change in government.

Nationally, the conversation around Indigenous recognition remains contentious. In October 2023, Australians voted against a proposed constitutional amendment to establish an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice — a national body intended to advise parliament on Indigenous affairs.

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