Understanding the past helps reveal how the lasting injustices of colonisation continue to affect First Nations people in Australia today. History plays a crucial role in shaping identity and making sense of the present. Yet for much of Australia’s history, the experiences and truths of Indigenous Australians have often been overlooked, suppressed, or misrepresented.

This section explores elements of Australia’s past through the histories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The world’s oldest continuing cultures, they have lived on the Australian continent for more than 65,000 years. Their story is one of deep connection to Country, complex social and cultural systems, resilience in the face of colonisation, and an ongoing struggle for recognition, rights and justice.