WI the First Fleet had landed in SW Victoria....

.... within spitting distance of this http://abc.com.au/catalyst/stories/s805459.htm society in 1788?

Aside from the disease aspects, here is a society that could adapt somewhat to the Europeans. A largeish population holding an established food-surplus production source may be able to resist the Europeans, adopt some of their practices and come to some sort of agreement which isn't entirely in the colonists favour. A hybrid society may form in the first few crucial years/decades which affects the course of Australian settlement.
 

Glen

Moderator
.... within spitting distance of this http://abc.com.au/catalyst/stories/s805459.htm society in 1788?

Aside from the disease aspects, here is a society that could adapt somewhat to the Europeans. A largeish population holding an established food-surplus production source may be able to resist the Europeans, adopt some of their practices and come to some sort of agreement which isn't entirely in the colonists favour. A hybrid society may form in the first few crucial years/decades which affects the course of Australian settlement.

Wish it were so, but they're still going to be decimated and then marginalized (at best) by the English.
 
I don't doubt that they would be overwhelmed, but I think the 2 sides would be in a state of balance for a while, and that would have butterfly effects.

Would a situation occur similar to Nth America, where the locals helped the settlers with food in the earliest days? Or perhaps the op to 10,000 or so locals would resist encroachment by the few hundered convicts, and wipe them out? What would escaping convicts do to/for the locals?
 

Glen

Moderator
I don't doubt that they would be overwhelmed, but I think the 2 sides would be in a state of balance for a while, and that would have butterfly effects.

Would a situation occur similar to Nth America, where the locals helped the settlers with food in the earliest days? Or perhaps the op to 10,000 or so locals would resist encroachment by the few hundered convicts, and wipe them out? What would escaping convicts do to/for the locals?

Probably help at first.
 
Perhaps the conmen in the First Fleet see the possibilities inherent in a large body of people with no experience of getting ripped-off and start trading European manufactures for food, women and other stuff. Not wanting to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs they form alliances with their local suppliers.

Or perhaps this could be done by the First Fleet bigwigs, Securing security and food supplies by cooperation with the locals.
 
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