> As far as being elegatiarian, aboriginal society was strictly divided, but as no-one
benefited from a surplus all enjoyed the fruits of the collective labour - by definition
this is egalitarianism the fact that individuals did not have the same role is not the
point, age, sex and kin were vital defining points as to the division of labour. The fact
that things were complex does not equate to them being non-egalitarian.<
It is difficult to talk about these things, not least because so much of it is perforce second-hand, because there were indeed hundreds of Aboriginal cultures across the continent at the time, and because the Quadrant mob is deft at pinching anything it can for its ceaseless mills, but I personally think Tench one of the great journalists of the time. His humanism and empathy were exceptional (only Bougainville comes to my mind as his equal in that time and place, but I've not read as much of him), and his attempts at making sense (or at least allowing that sense there must be) of strange particulars were laudable indeed.
Tench records Bennelong's boat trip across the harbour with him (I think it was around the time of the dead whale), whereupon they come across a resting band of Aboriginees. Bennelong identifies one young woman (who shrinks at the sight of him, if memory serves) and sets about her with a sword, to the apparent unconcern of her fellows. Whether this points to a conventional class differential or a gender differential (or merely constitutes some rough justice in an egalitarian setting), or both, is hard to tell. I've not read it for a while, but do you remember it? If so, how does it read to you?
Cheers, Rob.
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