What If Australia Had Large Lakes and Grasslands?
Imagine a different Australia, a land more hospitable to early colonizers, teeming with vast grasslands and large lakes. This alternative scenario drastically alters the course of history, making colonization much easier and leading to a dramatically different cultural and technological landscape. However, the reality of Australia is starkly different, with its dry interior and arid conditions that make large-scale agriculture challenging.
Colonization of Australia
Colonization of the world often depended on favorable geographic conditions. If Australia had large lakes and grasslands, it is highly likely that early attempts at colonization by the Dutch and Portuguese would have been much more successful. This would have meant that Australia’s history would have unfolded quite differently, with a more technologically advanced agricultural civilization emerging among the Aboriginal population.
It is, however, a hypothetical and unrealistic scenario. The lack of vast grasslands and large lakes means that Britain’s colonization efforts were necessary for the discovery and establishment of the continent as we know it today. The harshness of Australia’s natural environment and the low population of Aboriginal people in the interior would have made large-scale colonization a monumental challenge.
Agricultural Development and Future Scenarios
Consider the alternate reality where the interior of Australia was more favorable to agriculture. This would have likely led to a more advanced and populated society, possibly even leading to Australia becoming a superpower in modern times. Instead of being a relatively low-population continent, Australia would have seen significant growth and development in terms of agriculture, technology, and urbanization.
The introduction of large lakes and grasslands in Australia would have also impacted the life of the introduced species, like rabbits, who would have had a more stable food source due to an abundance of vegetation. The scenario where these herbivores could have driven humanity into the ocean is not just a far-fetched idea but a thought-provoking one. The thought of losing an entire continent to herbivores is hard to imagine but not outside the realm of possibility in altered historical circumstances.
Liquid Abundance and Grasslands in Pre-Colonial Australia
Before human colonization, Australia had a landscape with lakes and grasslands that were quite different from today. The drying up of these ancient lakes in Australia has left behind saline deposits that are a stark reminder of the continent's past. Fortunately, these lakes and grasslands have adapted to the drier climate, with present-day grasslands thriving in a more arid environment.
Historically, Aboriginal people migrated from the ice age waves into Australia, and archaeological evidence suggests that people thrived around and fished from what are now dried lakes. Comparatively, much of North America and parts of Canada were blessed with glacially formed lakes and more abundant and shallower groundwater, making the grassland regions, both prairies, more lush and fertile.
The subtext of your question is undoubtedly: Would Australia have been easier to colonize if it were more like North America? The historical and geographical reality of Australia is significantly different, with its arid interior and unique flora and fauna. The early colonizers faced a challenge not just in terms of natural resources but also in terms of a less densely populated and less agrarian indigenous population.
It is a critical reminder that the unique attributes of Australia are what make it such a fascinating and diverse continent. For better and for worse, Australia is what it is, and it is this uniqueness that makes it so valuable and important in the modern world.