Cultural conflict, is a conflict present in many peoples lives, and it has been like that for many years.

The Secret River is based on a true story, and has many aspects of cultural conflict. This demonstrates that cultural conflict is an issue that has been around for centuries.

In "The Secret River" the english settlers judge the black people by standards and attitudes based on english life. Many of the english settlers - including Thornhill - thought that the aboriginal people didn't care about the land because they didn't have fence and houses etc. showing that they possess the land. Some of the settlers treated the 'blacks' no better than animals. Smasher treated the blacks horribly when he hung the 'theif' as though it was an animal. Also the way he treatesd the black woman was worse than how you would treat any animal, he tied a woman up for his own sexual fantasies.

For some people, including Thornhill, the racism toward the aboriginals may be because of fear. Blackwood gives advice to thornhill, but fear causes him to abandon all nagotiations he had in place with the 'blacks', and causes him to loose his son.