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Detailed travelogue on Australia and New Zealand
Detailed Travelogue on Australia and New Zealand
Larry2006-05-27 03:23:16
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of an African-American, or
an Asian-American, or even myself. Many of Australia's ethnic Aboriginals
have become a part of "white" Australian society as much as any white. And
yet, still many others choose to live away from white society on Aboriginal
Land (much of which you cannot visit without a permit). Still others seem
to live in the cracks -- not fitting in either place.
As only a visitor to Australia, I'm not going to attempt to explain
Australian history and race-relations, nor try to judge the situation in
Australia today. The issue is complex, and what I know of the subject only
scratches the surface. Instead, I can only tell you the impressions I felt
as a short-term visitor, and impart to you what some of the Australians I
met told me.
On a hot summer day all around Alice Springs, you see groups of people
relaxing under trees... a group of Aboriginal people relaxing here, a group
of whites relaxing there... but I never saw a mixed group together. Walking
down a street, you see individuals of all different races mixed in the
crowd, walking together as individuals, but I noticed that when people were
in groups, they tended to segragate.
One thing I noticed about the Aboriginals living in the outback areas
(those not living inside white society) was that many of them were quite
rank -- your first thought as you walk next to one is that he probably
hasn't taken a shower in weeks. Yet after you stop and think about it, just
about anyone who makes their home in the harsh environment of the outback
(outside the city, where water is either scarce, or virtually non-existant),
would probably smell the same way.
A frequent sight both in-town and off the road in the outback was groups
of Aboriginals just hanging out together. In Alice Springs, I noticed that
while whites were congregated together
...
See photographs from:
Australia Gallery
,
New Zealand Gallery
