Terra Nullius in Australia

Paper Summary:

The writer of this paper defines terra nullius as a legal acquisition of land and delves into its significant impact on Australia. It is under this particular definition of legal land acquisition that Britain claimed ownership of Australia. This paper discusses in historic detail how terra nullius affected many aspects of Australian society both in negative and positive ways.

From the Paper:

"What needs to be realized is that this original land claim was based on a violation of international law. The land claimed by the British would not fall under the concept of terra nullius because aboriginal tribes were in possession of the land. The land did not "belong to no one" and there were ownership claims to the territory albeit based on heritage rather than British law. The natives of the land were pushed off of ancestral lands at the cost of lives and lifestyle. Therefore, British colonization and later Australian sovereign rule is based entirely upon false claims and violations of recognized international law."

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