The Claim
“Perpetuated the lie of 'Terra Nullius', claiming that Australia was 'nothing but bush' before white settlement.”
Original Sources Provided
✅ FACTUAL VERIFICATION
Tony Abbott did make this statement. On November 14, 2014, at a business breakfast in Sydney attended by British Prime Minister David Cameron, Abbott stated: "As we look around this glorious city, as we see the extraordinary development, it's hard to think that back in 1788 it was nothing but bush" [1]. He continued: "The marines and the convicts and the sailors that straggled off those 12 ships, just a few hundred yards from where we are now, must have thought they had come almost to the moon. Everything would have been so strange. Everything would have seemed so extraordinarily basic and raw" [1].
The statement was immediately criticized by Indigenous leaders. Kirstie Parker from the National Congress of Australia's First Peoples said Abbott's comments "do tremendous damage to the relationship of the Prime Minister and Aboriginal people" and noted he had made "comments that have erased Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from the landscape" on multiple occasions [1].
Labor's Indigenous affairs spokesman Shayne Neumann stated: "It's a denial of their culture, their language, their heritage and their custom and basically it shows the Prime Minister has a sort of terra nullius type approach to the continent" [1].
Historical Context of Terra Nullius: The doctrine of terra nullius ("land belonging to no-one") was the legal fiction used by the British Crown to claim sovereignty over Australia, ignoring the presence of Indigenous peoples who had occupied the continent for approximately 60,000 years [2]. The 1992 Mabo High Court decision overturned this doctrine, recognizing that Indigenous rights to land existed by virtue of traditional customs and laws [2][3].
Missing Context
The claim omits several important contextual factors:
1. Abbott's Full Record on Indigenous Affairs: The claim frames this as indicative of Abbott's entire approach, but omits that Abbott had also made positive contributions to Indigenous recognition. On the same day, in his speech to Parliament welcoming David Cameron, Abbott stated: "Modern Australia has an Aboriginal heritage, a British foundation and a multicultural character" [1]. In a 2014 interview with The Telegraph during a visit to an Aboriginal community in Arnhem Land, Abbott acknowledged: "Initially the impact [of British settlement] was all bad, disease, dispossession, discrimination, at times wanton murder" [1].
2. Abbott's Self-Appointed Role: Abbott had declared himself "Prime Minister for Aboriginal Affairs" upon election and made Indigenous issues a personal priority, spending a week annually in remote Indigenous communities [4]. While his execution was criticized, his stated commitment distinguished him from previous Coalition leaders.
3. The Context of the Speech: Abbott made the comments at a business breakfast focused on infrastructure and the Australia-UK relationship, not at an event about Indigenous history. While this doesn't excuse the erasure, the context suggests tone-deafness rather than deliberate denial of Indigenous history.
4. This Was Not an Isolated Incident: Abbott had previously attracted criticism in August 2014 for describing the arrival of the First Fleet as the "defining moment" in Australian history [1]. As Opposition Leader, he had also said Aboriginal people should "move on" from past grievances [5].
Source Credibility Assessment
The original source, New Matilda, is an independent online publication. According to Media Bias/Fact Check, New Matilda is rated as having "Left Bias" - "moderately to strongly biased toward liberal causes through story selection and/or political affiliation" [6]. The article's author, Amy McQuire, is a Darumbul woman and former editor of the National Indigenous Times and Tracker magazine, bringing Indigenous perspective to the reporting [5].
While the article accurately reported Abbott's comments (verified by ABC News and other mainstream outlets), the framing and headline emphasize the most critical interpretation of the remarks. The claim should be read as coming from a progressive perspective that is critical of the Coalition government.
Labor Comparison
Did Labor do something similar?
Search conducted: "Labor government Indigenous Australia policy failures history"
Finding: While Labor governments have generally taken more progressive stances on Indigenous issues, they also have a record of policy failures and controversial statements:
The Apology (2008): Kevin Rudd's Labor government delivered the historic National Apology to the Stolen Generations on February 13, 2008, a landmark moment that the Coalition (under Howard) had refused to make [7][8]. This represents a significant positive distinction between the parties.
ATSIC Abolition: The Hawke and Keating Labor governments created the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) in 1990 as an attempt at Indigenous self-determination [9], but Labor also contributed to policy instability and failure in Indigenous affairs over decades.
Both Parties' Failures: A 2025 analysis noted that "both major parties support flawed and discredited jobs schemes" for Indigenous employment, and both Labor and Coalition governments have a "long history of innovation - and failure - on Indigenous policy" [10][11].
Closing the Gap: Successive Labor and Coalition governments have both failed to meet most Closing the Gap targets, with improvements in Indigenous outcomes remaining limited regardless of which party is in power [4].
No direct equivalent to Abbott's statement was found - Labor leaders have not made comparable Terra Nullius-type comments. However, Labor governments have also failed to deliver substantive improvements in Indigenous disadvantage despite more progressive rhetoric.
Balanced Perspective
While critics are correct that Abbott's "nothing but bush" comment effectively erased 60,000 years of Indigenous civilization and echoed the discredited terra nullius doctrine, the full context shows a more complex picture:
Criticisms are valid: Abbott's comment was historically inaccurate and deeply offensive to Indigenous Australians. Sydney was not "nothing but bush" - the Eora people had sophisticated societies, complex land management systems, and permanent settlements in the area [5]. Indigenous leaders' characterizations of the statement as "terra nullius thinking" are well-founded [1].
But there's nuance in Abbott's record: Abbott's broader record on Indigenous affairs was mixed rather than uniformly negative. He appointed himself "Prime Minister for Aboriginal Affairs," spent significant time in remote communities, and made statements acknowledging the devastating impact of British settlement [1][4]. The "nothing but bush" comment appears to reflect a blind spot about pre-colonial civilization rather than a deliberate denial of Indigenous presence.
Comparative context: While Labor's 2008 Apology was a historic positive step that the Coalition opposed, both major parties have struggled with effective Indigenous policy implementation. The fundamental issue - failure to close the gap in Indigenous disadvantage - has persisted across multiple governments of both persuasions [10][11].
Key context: Abbott's comment was tone-deaf and historically inaccurate, but it was made in a specific context (celebrating infrastructure development with a British leader) rather than as a statement of government policy on Indigenous recognition. The claim implies a systematic perpetuation of terra nullius as policy, which overstates the significance of a clumsy, offensive remark made at a diplomatic event.
PARTIALLY TRUE
5.0
out of 10
Tony Abbott did make the "nothing but bush" comment, which effectively echoed terra nullius thinking by ignoring pre-colonial Indigenous civilization. This is factually verified and the criticism has merit. However, the claim overstates the case by suggesting this represents a systematic "perpetuation of the lie of terra nullius" as government policy, rather than an offensive, historically ignorant remark made at a diplomatic event. Abbott made statements both before and after this incident that acknowledged Indigenous heritage and the devastating impacts of colonization. The claim comes from a left-biased source and omits the full complexity of Abbott's mixed record on Indigenous affairs.
Final Score
5.0
OUT OF 10
PARTIALLY TRUE
Tony Abbott did make the "nothing but bush" comment, which effectively echoed terra nullius thinking by ignoring pre-colonial Indigenous civilization. This is factually verified and the criticism has merit. However, the claim overstates the case by suggesting this represents a systematic "perpetuation of the lie of terra nullius" as government policy, rather than an offensive, historically ignorant remark made at a diplomatic event. Abbott made statements both before and after this incident that acknowledged Indigenous heritage and the devastating impacts of colonization. The claim comes from a left-biased source and omits the full complexity of Abbott's mixed record on Indigenous affairs.
Rating Scale Methodology
1-3: FALSE
Factually incorrect or malicious fabrication.
4-6: PARTIAL
Some truth but context is missing or skewed.
7-9: MOSTLY TRUE
Minor technicalities or phrasing issues.
10: ACCURATE
Perfectly verified and contextually fair.
Methodology: Ratings are determined through cross-referencing official government records, independent fact-checking organizations, and primary source documents.