In 1976, Justice Lush in a Victorian Supreme Court case about whether or not Aboriginal people still existed in Victoria, said that 'Aborigine' was a word probably used much more widely in Australia than in other English-speaking countries. He said that 'Aborigines' was used to describe 'persons in groups or societies irrespective of mixture of blood'. In the case of Bryning, Re, he found that Aboriginal people and their descendants continued to exist in Victoria and cited the existence of the Australian Aborigines' League from the 1920s as evidence. However, Aboriginal culture and identity continue to be under increasing pressure. Aborigines are flooded with mass media and are themselves used to participating in western media forms.
Aboriginal languages provide just one indicator of how Aboriginal culture can be diminished.
Aboriginal arts and crafts are popular commercially but this commercialism may pose a threat to their traditional purposes and meanings. The way in which Aboriginal Australians will choose to deal with these aspects of Aboriginal culture will serve to further shape modern Aboriginal identity. Being Black, Aboriginal Studies Press, Canberra. Melbourne Vic 3000, Australia.