Drought, Population, and Survival in Precolonial Australia

How did Aboriginal Australians survive in one of the harshest climates on Earth? This course explores the profound impact of droughts on Aboriginal populations, with an emphasis on historical environmental data, population estimates, and survival strategies. From the severe drought of AD 1174, which lasted 39 years, to the arid challenges of the Millennium Drought, we analyse the toll these environmental shifts took on indigenous societies. With a population sustained by the land’s limited resources, large-scale droughts could decimate up to half of the population in some regions, particularly along the densely populated Murray-Darling Basin. The course examines how fluctuating climates, including shorter but equally catastrophic droughts, pushed communities to the brink of famine and reduced birth rates, while also exploring how Aboriginal societies adapted through nomadic lifestyles, food sharing, and, at times, harsh population control measures. By comparing droughts in Australia’s recorded history to those inferred from archaeological and environmental research, we consider the larger implications of climate-induced population decline, the struggle for resources, and the precariousness of life before European contact. IN DEVELOPMENT: COURSE OVERVIEW ONLY