The reactions of the native Aboriginal inhabitants to the sudden arrival of British settlers in Australia were varied , but were inevitably hostile when the settler 's presence led to competition over resources , and to the occupation of the indigenous inhabitants ' lands . European diseases decimated Aboriginal populations , and the occupation or destruction of lands and food resources sometimes led to starvation . By and large neither the British nor the Aborigines approached the conflict in an organised sense and conflict occurred between groups of settlers and individual tribes rather than systematic warfare . At times , however , the frontier wars did see the involvement of British soldiers and later mounted police units . Not all Aboriginal groups resisted white encroachment on their lands , while many Aborigines served in mounted police units and were involved in attacks on other tribes .