More than 2 million Indigenous people lived in Australia in 1788: new research

A new study reveals that more than two million Indigenous people likely inhabited Australia when the British arrived in 1788, far exceeding the previously accepted figure of 300,000. This significantly revised estimate is derived from genetic, archaeological, and environmental evidence rather than colonial headcounts, which were often skewed by disease, dispossession, and violence.

The new figure suggests that over 90% of the Indigenous population perished within 70 years of the invasion. The research, published in Nature Human Behaviour, underscores the need for a revised understanding of Australia's history, the scale of the invasion's impact, and the resilience of Indigenous communities.