Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Torres Strait Islanders are Indigenous to the Torres Strait Islands, which are at the northernmost tip of Queensland near Papua New Guinea. The term "Aboriginal" has traditionally been applied to Indigenous inhabitants of mainland Australia, Tasmania, and some of the other adjacent islands. Since the colonisation of Australia in 1788, Indigenous Australians have been segregated from European Australians both in their rights and socially within society. The 'firsts' listed in this article contain historical steps that have changed this initial racist segregation both legally and culturally.
17th century
1600s
1606
First known meeting between Indigenous Australians and Europeans (Mapoon, Queensland).
18th century
1780s
1788
First Indigenous Australian to live amongst Europeans: Arabanoo.
1790s
1793
First Indigenous Australian song performed in Europe: Bennelong, Yemmerrawanne. 1796 First Indigenous Australian to appear in print: Bennelong (see also 1949).
19th century
1800s
1802
First Indigenous Australian to circumnavigate Australia: Bungaree.
1810s
1815
First Indigenous Australian to be granted land by the colonial authorities: Bungaree.
1830s
1835
First Indigenous Australian to be recorded playing western sport: Shiney (cricket in Hobart). 1836 First publication solely written and published by Indigenous Australians: Flinders Island Chronicle (twenty-nine editions published).
1850s
1856
Indigenous Australian males first given the right to vote in elections (South Australia).
1860s
1864
First time portions of the Bible published in an Indigenous Australian language (Ngarrindjeri). 1868 First Australian cricket team to tour overseas and the first sporting team to represent Australia abroad, is composed of Australian Aboriginal people.
1870s
1870
First Indigenous Australian to play first-class cricket: Twopenny. 1871 First Indigenous Australian to become a deacon: James Unaipon.
1880s
1883
First Indigenous Australian to win the Stawell Gift: Bobby Kinnear. 1889 First Indigenous Australian to play in a major Australian rules football league, South Australian Football Association (now SANFL): Harry Hewitt.
1890s
1893
First Indigenous Australian to play representative rugby union: Frank Ivory (Queensland). 1895 Indigenous Australian women first gain the right to vote in elections (South Australia). 1897 First translation of the New Testament into an Indigenous Australian language (Dieri). 1899 First Indigenous Australian to be recorded: Fanny Cochrane Smith.
20th century
1900s
1900
First Indigenous Australian to regularly play in a major Australian rules football league, West Australian Football Association (now WAFL): Jimmy Melbourne. 1904 First Indigenous Australian to play in the Victorian Football League (VFL): Joe Johnson. 1909 First Indigenous Australian to play first-grade level rugby league: George Green.
1910s
1910
First time First Nations children were forcibly removed from their families as a result of government policies. Now known as the "Stolen Generation". 1912 First Indigenous Australian to win a national boxing title: Jerry Jerome (middleweight). First Indigenous Australian to be awarded a medal for gallantry: Neighbour (Albert Medal). 1916 First Indigenous Australian to be awarded the Military Medal in World War I : Maitland Madge. 1919 First Torres Strait Islanders to be ordained deacons in the Anglican Church of Australia (then called the Church of England in Australia): Joseph Lui and Poey Passi.
1920s
1925
First Indigenous Australian to tour abroad as part of open sporting team: Glen Crouch (Queensland rugby league team to New Zealand). First Aboriginal Australian to be ordained deacon in the Anglican Church of Australia (then called the Church of England in Australia): James Noble (clergyman). First Torres Strait Islanders to be ordained priests in the Anglican Church of Australia (then called the Church of England in Australia): Joseph Lui and Poey Passi. 1927 First Indigenous Australian to have a book published: David Unaipon (Aboriginal Legends). 1929 First Indigenous Australian to win the World Professional Sprint Championship: Lynch Cooper.