Who are the palawa people of Tasmania?
The palawa, or pakana, are the Aboriginal people of Tasmania. Their ancestors lived on the island for at least 40,000 years, and they survived devastating violence and dispossession during colonisation.
When sea levels rose about 10,000 years ago, Tasmania became separated from the mainland, and Aboriginal Tasmanians lived in isolation, developing distinct cultures and languages.
After British settlement in 1803, conflict known as the Black War brought heavy losses. In the 1830s, George Augustus Robinson moved many survivors to Wybalenna on Flinders Island, where many died.
Survival and revival
Truganini, who died in 1876, was wrongly described as the last Tasmanian Aboriginal person. In fact, many descendants survived, especially in the Furneaux Islands.
Today the community is reviving a language called palawa kani, rebuilt from historical records.
Places now have dual names, such as kunanyi/Mount Wellington and truwana/Cape Barren Island, recognising Aboriginal connections to country.
Land has been returned to the Aboriginal community in several areas, including Wybalenna, Cape Barren Island and parts of the northwest coast such as preminghana. Shell middens, rock carvings and stone tools across the state record a long history of life on the island, and traditional practices such as shell necklace making continue today.
Did You Know?
The Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre was founded in 1973 to support the community.