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First Tasmanians: A Deep History
The history of the First Tasmanians is a story of ingenuity, adaptation and resilience. In First Tasmanians historian Shayne Breen traces the 40,0000 years of Aboriginal exploration, land settlement, hunting practices and controlled burning on the island. The First Tasmanians were committed to the terms of life set down by creation ancestors, their hunting and gathering skills a source of wonder to observant colonists. These skilled practitioners of land management universally respected local autonomy, and their seasonal journeys enhanced social interaction as they negotiated momentous changes in climate, vegetation and topography. Social cohesion was fostered through singing, dancing and storytelling around the evening campfire, and rituals and networks were maintained across life on earth and the afterlife.
In thirty short years of the nineteenth century, this carefully nurtured collective life was destroyed by an imperial power, to be replaced by a narrative of Aboriginal resistance, struggle and protest. Multiple genocidal policies left contemporary First Tasmanians with a complex legacy of historical grief, chronic disadvantage and intergenerational trauma, a legacy that endures to this day.
First Tasmanians is the first interdisciplinary account of Tasmanian Aboriginal history told in three the deep hunter-gatherer past; the collective life at the time of the British invasion; and the recent past. It is a story of courage, continuity and an unwavering commitment to revitalising connections between country, culture and community.
In thirty short years of the nineteenth century, this carefully nurtured collective life was destroyed by an imperial power, to be replaced by a narrative of Aboriginal resistance, struggle and protest. Multiple genocidal policies left contemporary First Tasmanians with a complex legacy of historical grief, chronic disadvantage and intergenerational trauma, a legacy that endures to this day.
First Tasmanians is the first interdisciplinary account of Tasmanian Aboriginal history told in three the deep hunter-gatherer past; the collective life at the time of the British invasion; and the recent past. It is a story of courage, continuity and an unwavering commitment to revitalising connections between country, culture and community.
- GenresHistory
336 pages, Hardcover
Published September 2, 2025
About the author
Shayne Breen
2 books1 followerDr Shayne Breen has taught Tasmanian Aboriginal History at the University of Tasmania since 1990. He is the author of Contested Places: Tasmania’s Northern Districts from Ancient Times to 1900, published in 2001 by the Centre for Tasmanian Historical Studies in Hobart.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
November 29, 2025
Having read most books available on the Tasmanian Aborigines, this was a real treat. This new book pulls together a wide array of research: archaeological, climatological, documentary, linguistic and more. But unlike most books on the subject, instead of relegating the pre-colonial history to a brief early section and concentrating on the colonial and modern periods, Breen's book does exactly the opposite.
So the overwhelming bulk of the book takes what evidence we have and uses a variety of approaches to fill in as much detail as possible. Languages, social order, technology (material and oral), ritual and worldview are all examined and fleshed out carefully. And the final sections on the colonial genocide and modern survival cap off a book that will be a standard text for many years to come.
The section on new linguistic research that shows the Aboriginal Tasmanians had multiple languages was an eye-opener. If I could make some small criticisms, I think in places the desire to counter older, prejudiced ideas spilled into taking the counter-argument a little far in the opposite direction. Pre-colonial warfare and conflicts get downplayed and almost dismissed, for example, by arguments I found uncompelling. And I suspect giving space to some of Bruce Pascoe's sillier ideas probably won't age well. These points aside, this is a great book and a much needed addition to the literature. Highly recommended.
So the overwhelming bulk of the book takes what evidence we have and uses a variety of approaches to fill in as much detail as possible. Languages, social order, technology (material and oral), ritual and worldview are all examined and fleshed out carefully. And the final sections on the colonial genocide and modern survival cap off a book that will be a standard text for many years to come.
The section on new linguistic research that shows the Aboriginal Tasmanians had multiple languages was an eye-opener. If I could make some small criticisms, I think in places the desire to counter older, prejudiced ideas spilled into taking the counter-argument a little far in the opposite direction. Pre-colonial warfare and conflicts get downplayed and almost dismissed, for example, by arguments I found uncompelling. And I suspect giving space to some of Bruce Pascoe's sillier ideas probably won't age well. These points aside, this is a great book and a much needed addition to the literature. Highly recommended.
January 11, 2026
By sheer coincidence I finished this book shortly after learning that nita Craig Everett had passed, a Palawa man well known for his commitment to sharing cultural knowledge. Craig's mantra was 'sacred not secret' which is similar to the ethos of Breen's book, tying together many threads, from archeology to activism, from history in all its versions to cultural reckoning.
If you've any interest in this subject First Tasmanians will be the go to book for years to come.
If you've any interest in this subject First Tasmanians will be the go to book for years to come.
April 14, 2026
Breen has curated a nuanced, well-researched, and thoughtfully formatted text with the publication of First Tasmanians.
The structure has been carefully planned, with three main parts covering The Deep Past, Collective Aboriginal Life and The Recent Past. The majority of the book focuses on Collective Aboriginal Life, and takes concerted efforts to address myths that developed when British people invaded lutruwita, and persisted throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The Recent Past section addresses the way in which we can view the full history of the First Tasmanian people, the atrocities that were committed during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and the recent and current push towards revitalising Aboriginal culture, including language and land rights/use.
I appreciated the many quotes from various historical sources, and the way in which Breen reflects on the time period they were recorded in, as well as the prevailing views of the time, and the views of the author (at times in agreement, at others opposing). Breen also challenges a number of scholars, some who have generally been discredited already, but also some more recent authors, im a way that is evidence-based and non-inflammatory.
I think as a resource this text is fantastic. It has many varied pieces of information that can be returned to when wanting to review a specific topic, but also forms a coherent whole.
I think there are a number of things worth reflecting on further. I was particularly struck by the way the invaders could be so surprised and inspired by the Aboriginal people they encountered, able to commend their physicality, their skills, their knowledge, the way they treated each other, and yet in the same breath still argue they were primitive savages, and attempt to stamp out their culture. I thought this quote that includes portions from Robinson in 1829 really sums this up for me.
'In May of that year a man whom Robinson called 'Joe' was tending his dying wife. Robinson wrote that 'this man's affection, both to his wife and children, was very striking: in civilised society he would be termed a good husband and parent'. As his wife lay dying, Joe was 'much affected, frequently shed tears'. When Joe himself died a few weeks later, several of Robinson's convict workers mourned the death. 'Sir, said one, I feel very sorry; I liked him because he was affectionate; I remember giving him bread and he gave it first to his children.' Robinson agreed that Joe 'was kind and humane and remarkably affectionate to his children. For probity and veracity he was unequalled'.
The implication is, of course, that Joe was surprisingly affectionate, kind, and humane, for an Aboriginal. What a shock, that an Aboriginal man would be considered a good husband and parent even by civilised people. Of course, Robinson would say this, all while rounding up Aboriginal people to bring to his 'mission', starving them of their country and culture, and leaving them disease-ridden and dying.
It's wonderful that the amount of quality research and literature on this topic is growing. As a teacher, I feel that it allows us to share more truthfully the history and culture of the First Tasmanians, and connect the past to the present, maintaining an awareness of revitalisation and ways in which all Tasmanians can come together with openness and respect.
The structure has been carefully planned, with three main parts covering The Deep Past, Collective Aboriginal Life and The Recent Past. The majority of the book focuses on Collective Aboriginal Life, and takes concerted efforts to address myths that developed when British people invaded lutruwita, and persisted throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The Recent Past section addresses the way in which we can view the full history of the First Tasmanian people, the atrocities that were committed during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and the recent and current push towards revitalising Aboriginal culture, including language and land rights/use.
I appreciated the many quotes from various historical sources, and the way in which Breen reflects on the time period they were recorded in, as well as the prevailing views of the time, and the views of the author (at times in agreement, at others opposing). Breen also challenges a number of scholars, some who have generally been discredited already, but also some more recent authors, im a way that is evidence-based and non-inflammatory.
I think as a resource this text is fantastic. It has many varied pieces of information that can be returned to when wanting to review a specific topic, but also forms a coherent whole.
I think there are a number of things worth reflecting on further. I was particularly struck by the way the invaders could be so surprised and inspired by the Aboriginal people they encountered, able to commend their physicality, their skills, their knowledge, the way they treated each other, and yet in the same breath still argue they were primitive savages, and attempt to stamp out their culture. I thought this quote that includes portions from Robinson in 1829 really sums this up for me.
'In May of that year a man whom Robinson called 'Joe' was tending his dying wife. Robinson wrote that 'this man's affection, both to his wife and children, was very striking: in civilised society he would be termed a good husband and parent'. As his wife lay dying, Joe was 'much affected, frequently shed tears'. When Joe himself died a few weeks later, several of Robinson's convict workers mourned the death. 'Sir, said one, I feel very sorry; I liked him because he was affectionate; I remember giving him bread and he gave it first to his children.' Robinson agreed that Joe 'was kind and humane and remarkably affectionate to his children. For probity and veracity he was unequalled'.
The implication is, of course, that Joe was surprisingly affectionate, kind, and humane, for an Aboriginal. What a shock, that an Aboriginal man would be considered a good husband and parent even by civilised people. Of course, Robinson would say this, all while rounding up Aboriginal people to bring to his 'mission', starving them of their country and culture, and leaving them disease-ridden and dying.
It's wonderful that the amount of quality research and literature on this topic is growing. As a teacher, I feel that it allows us to share more truthfully the history and culture of the First Tasmanians, and connect the past to the present, maintaining an awareness of revitalisation and ways in which all Tasmanians can come together with openness and respect.
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January 5, 2026I find this very hard to rate, so I'm choosing not to.
I have read Dark Emu, which was a highly accessible read that taught me a lot about Australia's First Nation's people. I was hoping this would be a similar read for lutruwita/Tasmania.
The story of Tassie's first people is an amazing story of an ancient culture that have fought hard to remain as a culture over the last 200+ years.
Unfortunately, I found the writing style and presentation of the book to be really hard to get through. I suspect people who believe the myths are more the target audience but I worry that those people are not ones who will read this and/or will give up.
I have read Dark Emu, which was a highly accessible read that taught me a lot about Australia's First Nation's people. I was hoping this would be a similar read for lutruwita/Tasmania.
The story of Tassie's first people is an amazing story of an ancient culture that have fought hard to remain as a culture over the last 200+ years.
Unfortunately, I found the writing style and presentation of the book to be really hard to get through. I suspect people who believe the myths are more the target audience but I worry that those people are not ones who will read this and/or will give up.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews