Parentage and Indigenous population change

Abstract

Non-Indigenous women contribute to Indigenous population growth when they form relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men and bear children. The aim of this discussion paper is to assess this contribution more precisely.

The dynamic patterns of Aboriginal family formation and reformation might not have been considered adequately in recent interpretations of census data, which pointed out that there were rapidly increasing proportions of Indigenous children in families consisting of Indigenous fathers and non-Indigenous mothers. This could occur for reasons other than rapidly increasing intermarriage. There are also pitfalls in interpreting increasing intermarriage as indicative of change in the nature of Aboriginal society. Nevertheless, convergence is the inevitable future for both the Indigenous and non-Indigenous components of Australian society.