The First Tasmanian People

In 1803 the British began their invasion of the island now referred to as Tasmania. At that time, there were already nine Indigenous nations present on the island. The Aboriginal people had been living there for tens of thousands of years.

The Aboriginal population began fighting a war of resistance against an incoming invader, and they successfully utilised guerrilla tactics for many years. But as the British took over additional land and murdered local inhabitants, the situation became more desperate for the First Nations people. By 1830, many Aboriginal people had been killed and the colonisers attempted to carry out a final genocide.

The so-called Black Line was a six-week military offensive implemented by the governor.

Around 2,200 British soldiers and civilians formed lines across the British occupied territories and moved south, with the aim of killing Aboriginal people and driving them down towards the Tasman Peninsula.

The Tasmanian Tiger

When Europeans arrived in 1803, thylacines were widespread in Tasmania. Their preferred habitat was a mosaic of dry eucalypt forest, wetlands and grasslands. They emerged to hunt on grassy plains and open woodlands during the evening, night and early morning.

The arrival of European settlers marked the start of a tragic period of conflict that led to the thylacine’s extinction. The introduction of sheep in 1824 led to great friction between the settlers and thylacines.

Bounty records indicate that a sudden decline in thylacine numbers occurred early in the 20th century. Hunting and habitat destruction leading to population fragmentation, are believed to have been the main causes of extinction. The remnant population was further weakened by a distemper-like disease.

The last known thylacine died in Hobart Zoo on 7th September, 1936.