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Prior to contact from Europe, Tasmania was home to a number of indigenous groups, closely related to the Maoris of [[New Zealand]], with whom they traded and occasionaly fought wars. It is estimated that when Europeans arrived in Tasmania there Unlike Aboriginals to their north, they were between 4000 not nomadic people and 10settled in villages,000 Tasmanian Aboriginestraded with each other and developed agriculture.  Around 1600, in 9 tribesvarious tribal groups were united under a central chief (Chief Treponema).<ref>[http://www.abs.gov.au/Ausstats/abs@.nsf/0/f6fa372655dcc15fca256c3200241893?OpenDocument 1384.6 - Statistics - TasmaniaFor unknown reasons, 2005 >> History >> Aboriginal occupation] Australian Bureau the number of Statistics. Accessed 21 March 2007.</ref> Most inhabitants of these were systematically killed by the white colonists in Island fell rapidly during the first 50 years of colonisation.<ref>[http://www.abs.gov.au/Ausstats/abs@.nsf/0/0D3893BEE905CA98CA256C3200241894?opendocument 1384.6 - Statistics - Tasmania, 2005 >> History >> 1803-1850s, British outpost] Australian Bureau of Statistics. Accessed 21 March 200717th century until less than about 10 000 people were left.</ref>