This book provides a survey of studies so far made on various aspects of current Aboriginal economic life in different environments in Australia, and raises questions of economic policy which follow from their results. In this the authors break new ground in the breadth of their canvass and by their extension of issues previously limited to the realm of social welfare to that of economic policy.

In recent years there has been a substantial growth in the literature of Australian Aboriginal Studies. While much of this has touched on past and present economic issues from a historical, political or social viewpoint, its result has been to emphasize the need for a synthesis of the available information on the economic status of Aborigines in Australia. This book provides a survey of studies so far made on various aspects of current Aboriginal economic life in different environments in Australia, and raises questions of economic policy which follow from their results. In this the authors break new ground in the breadth of their canvass and by their extension of issues previously limited to the realm of social welfare to that of economic policy. This book is prefaced by a brief description of the historical background to the Aboriginal economy , and introduced by an overview of the relatively unequal economic status of Aborigines in the Australian economy today.