Document Type
Article
Publication Date
3-1-2024
Abstract
In the colonisation of Queensland, Australia it is commonly accepted that large numbers of Indigenous people were killed in the second half of the nineteenth century. Calculations of violent mortality have recently been revised radically upwards. We suggest that the methodology deployed in these new studies is unreliable, reflecting errors in counting and calculation, as well as underestimating the selection bias of the samples. We caution against projecting aggregate violent mortality where the underlying data are so imperfect and emphasise the value of more detailed local and regional studies to inform better understanding of colonisation's impact on First Peoples.
Publication Source (Journal or Book title)
Asia-Pacific Economic History Review
First Page
34
Last Page
51
Recommended Citation
Finnane, M., & Richards, J. (2024). Speculating about genocide: The Queensland frontier 1859–1897. Asia-Pacific Economic History Review, 64 (1), 34-51. https://doi.org/10.1111/aehr.12278