Aboriginal Tasmanians: Survival, Legacy, and Resilience

The story of the Aboriginal Tasmanians is one of survival and resilience despite the devastating impact of British colonialism. Once believed to have become extinct with the deaths of figures like Truganini and Fanny Cochrane Smith, we now understand that these individuals were only part of a much larger, enduring community.

The Myth of Extinction and the “Last Aboriginal Tasmanian”

For many years, historians and the wider public were led to believe that Aboriginal Tasmanians had disappeared entirely from the landscape after the deaths of two prominent women. Truganini, who died in 1876, and Fanny Cochrane Smith, who passed away in 1905 near Oyster Cove, were often cited as “the last” representatives of their people. This narrative, however, obscured the reality that the Aboriginal Tasmanian community not only survived these tragedies but continued to maintain their cultural identity despite relentless colonial pressures.

The idea that an entire people had vanished was reinforced by the language and attitudes of colonial settlers. Descriptions of Aboriginal Tasmanians as a “doomed race” were propagated by those who believed that Indigenous peoples were inherently primitive and destined for extinction. Such views conveniently absolved the settlers of responsibility for the catastrophic loss of life and culture that resulted from their violent conquests and exploitative practices.

The Impact of Colonialism on Aboriginal Tasmanian Populations

The catastrophic decline in Aboriginal Tasmanian populations began almost immediately after contact with British colonizers. Prior to European arrival, it is estimated that there were around 7,000 Aboriginal Tasmanians. Within just 20 years of contact, the population had dropped to roughly 5,000. This initial decline was followed by an even more drastic reduction: within a generation, numbers plummeted to as few as 1,000 individuals.

This demographic collapse was not uniform across the island. By 1830, for example, the population of the South West Nation had fallen from approximately 300 members to only 60. Similar tragic reductions were seen among the other eight Aboriginal nations in Tasmania. The factors driving this decline were manifold and interrelated. Colonial violence, particularly during periods such as the Black War (1824–1832) and the Black Line (a campaign conducted between September and November 1830), played a significant role. Alongside these violent confrontations, European-imported diseases—most notably influenza—wreaked havoc on communities that had no immunity to these new pathogens.

The cumulative effects of these factors led to a dramatic collapse of Aboriginal Tasmanian society. The once-thriving communities were reduced to isolated survivors, and the idea that their culture had been completely eradicated took hold in popular and academic discourse alike.

The “Doomed Race” Concept and Its Colonial Rationale

In the early decades of the 19th century, British settlers frequently invoked the “doomed race” concept to justify their actions and the rapid decline of Aboriginal populations. This pseudoscientific theory posited that Aboriginal people were too “savage” or primitive to withstand the onslaught of a more “advanced” European civilization. According to this rationale, the extinction of Aboriginal Tasmanians was not only inevitable but also, in the eyes of the colonizers, deserved.

The fatalistic tone of this belief system was further bolstered by certain religious ideologies of the time, which saw the downfall of Indigenous peoples as part of a divinely ordained order. In these narratives, the destruction of Aboriginal communities served as a convenient explanation for the loss of thousands of lives. By attributing their decline to inherent weaknesses rather than to the deliberate and violent actions of the colonizers, British settlers could evade accountability for the genocide that was taking place on Tasmanian soil.

Such narratives were not without consequences. They shaped policies and attitudes that led to the forced relocation of Aboriginal people, the dismantling of their traditional ways of life, and the eventual mischaracterization of their culture as something lost to history. The long-held myth of extinction effectively erased the resilience and continued cultural expression of the Aboriginal Tasmanians from mainstream historical accounts.

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Life and Legacy of Truganini

Truganini remains one of the most emblematic figures in the history of Aboriginal Tasmanians. Born in 1812 in the region around Recherche Bay near the D’Entrecasteaux Channel, she belonged to the Nuenonne people of the South East Nation. Her early life was marked by the brutal realities of colonial encroachment. The ancestral lands of her people stretched along more than 500 kilometers of Tasmania’s southeast coast, including areas that now form part of modern Hobart.

Truganini’s life intersected tragically with the violent history of Van Diemen’s Land. Her family suffered immense losses at the hands of European sealers and soldiers. Her mother was killed by a European sailor, and her uncle was shot by a British soldier. Moreover, her two sisters were abducted—one of them even meeting an untimely death through accidental shooting while in captivity.

Despite these overwhelming hardships, Truganini’s life was also defined by her resilience and deep connection to her cultural heritage. In the winter of 1829, she experienced significant personal change with the death of her father and the beginning of a relationship with Woorraddy, the chief of the Nuenonne clan. Around this time, she also encountered G.A. Robinson, a mediator employed by the colonial government. Between 1830 and 1834, Truganini accompanied Robinson on missions intended to secure the surrender of remaining Aboriginal clans across Van Diemen’s Land.

Her journey eventually led her to Wybalenna, an Aboriginal settlement established on the west coast of Flinders Island in October 1835. Wybalenna, meaning “Black man’s houses,” was a place where a small community of around 120 Aboriginal people had been gathered. It was here that Truganini formed a partnership with Weernerpaterlargenna, a man from the Big River Nation who had been given the European name Alphonso. This period marked a new chapter in her life—a time of forced resettlement and cultural dislocation, yet also one of profound personal dignity.

Truganini’s later years were marked by the harsh realities of life at Oyster Cove, the relocated Aboriginal settlement near a former penal station. By July 1871, Oyster Cove’s population had dwindled to a mere two women, including Truganini herself. Known for her remarkable eyesight, good humour, extensive knowledge of the bush and stars, and even her prowess as a swimmer, Truganini was highly respected by both Aboriginal people and settlers. Despite the exploitation and misrepresentation that followed her death—her remains were exhumed and transported to Melbourne—the legacy of Truganini endures as a symbol of survival and resistance in the face of overwhelming colonial violence.

Life and Legacy of Fanny Cochrane Smith

Fanny Cochrane Smith’s life is equally emblematic of the complexities faced by Aboriginal Tasmanians. Born in December 1832 at the Wybalenna Aboriginal Establishment, Fanny was the first child born in that community. Her mother, Tanganutura (also known as Tarenootairrer or Sarah), was likely from the North East Nation and a member of the Pinterrairer clan from south of Cape Portland. Abducted as a child by a sealer, Tanganutura’s life set the stage for the turbulent existence that would follow for her daughter.

Fanny’s early years were characterized by displacement and hardship. Like many of her people, she was forcibly removed from her family and sent to the Queen’s Orphan School at a young age. Despite these early traumas, Fanny eventually returned to the Aboriginal community at Wybalenna. There, she was placed in the care of the family of catechist Robert Clark—whose wife’s maiden name, Cochrane, would later become part of Fanny’s name. Clark’s methods were notoriously brutal; Fanny once even attempted to burn down his home in a desperate bid for freedom.

After enduring further dislocation and hardship, Fanny and other survivors were eventually transferred to Oyster Cove, where the community struggled against the ravages of disease and neglect. It was at Oyster Cove that Fanny married John Smith, an English sawyer and ex-convict. Together, they established a modest life cutting and selling timber, supported by a dowry from the colonial government. Over time, despite the overwhelming odds, Fanny managed to create a space for herself and her community. She became a respected cultural custodian, teaching the corroboree songs, traditional bush food gathering techniques, and other ancestral customs to the children of her community.

Fanny’s resilience extended into her later years. At the age of 65, she met Horace Watson, a pharmacist and entrepreneur, who recognized the cultural significance of her heritage. Between 1899 and 1903, Watson recorded Fanny’s songs using an Edison phonograph. These recordings—made on wax cylinders—are the only surviving examples of Tasmanian Aboriginal music and have been invaluable in the modern reconstruction of the Palawa Kani language.

Fanny Cochrane Smith’s life stands as a testament to the endurance of Aboriginal culture. Even after her death on February 24, 1905, when more than 400 people attended her funeral, her legacy continued through her descendants. Her teachings, recordings, and the stories of her resilience have become a critical part of the cultural revival among Aboriginal Tasmanians today.

Cultural Survival and Reclamation

Despite the colonial narrative that painted Aboriginal Tasmanians as extinct, the reality is far more complex. While colonial violence and exploitation did decimate populations and disrupt traditional ways of life, Aboriginal Tasmanian culture survived through adaptation and the perseverance of its people. Both Truganini and Fanny Cochrane Smith symbolize this resilience. Their lives, marked by both suffering and resistance, have become powerful symbols of the struggle to preserve a vibrant cultural identity against overwhelming odds.

Over the decades, descendants of these communities have fought to reclaim their heritage and challenge the false narratives of extinction. The reclamation of language, traditions, and cultural practices is an ongoing process. Modern initiatives, such as the reconstruction of the Palawa Kani language from Fanny’s wax cylinder recordings, exemplify how Aboriginal Tasmanians are reviving and celebrating their ancestral heritage.

This cultural revival is not only a reclamation of lost traditions but also a powerful assertion of identity. For too long, the story of Aboriginal Tasmanians had been written by outsiders who ignored the resilience and ongoing contributions of Indigenous peoples. Today, Aboriginal Tasmanians are reasserting their presence, challenging historical misrepresentations, and educating the broader public about their rich and multifaceted heritage.

The Exploitation and Desecration of Aboriginal Remains

One of the darkest aspects of colonial history in Tasmania is the exploitation and desecration of Aboriginal remains. As the Aboriginal population was decimated, colonists began to treat the surviving people—and their remains—as mere curiosities or trophies. Scientific and anthropological expeditions, often under the guise of research, led to the exhumation and transport of Aboriginal bodies to museums and private collections across Europe.

In 1867, for instance, Morton Allport, a lawyer from Hobart, dug up the remains of Bessy Clark from Oyster Cove and sent them to the Hunterian Museum in London. The desecration continued with the case of William Lanney, a respected figure among the Aboriginal community. After his death in March 1869, Lanney’s body was manipulated in a gruesome display of colonial disregard. Dr. William Crowther and his colleagues, members of the Royal Society, dismembered his body and sent parts of it to institutions in Britain and Edinburgh.

These barbaric practices were emblematic of a broader colonial mindset that dehumanized Aboriginal people. Such actions reinforced the false narrative of extinction by reducing the survivors to objects of scientific curiosity rather than acknowledging them as living, resilient members of a continuing community. The later campaign by Roy Nicholls to have Truganini’s remains removed from the museum—a struggle that eventually resulted in her cremation and the scattering of her ashes in the sacred D’Entrecasteaux Channel—marks an important moment in the ongoing process of reclaiming dignity and cultural heritage.