How did pastoral expansion affect Aboriginal communities in the Pilbara and Gascoyne regions?

During the 1860s, the expansion of pastoralists into the Pilbara district and the Gascoyne River region represented an invasion of traditional lands. Aboriginal peoples in these areas resisted this encroachment, but their efforts to defend their territories were ultimately unavailing against the settlers.12

Following this expansion, the regional economy became increasingly tied to the pearling industry, which began in 1868. This industry exploited Aboriginal communities by utilizing Aboriginal women as divers, a practice that was later expanded to include Malay, Japanese, and other Asian laborers.12