The term 'early inhabitant' can be broken down into two crossword solutions: ABORIGINE (9 letters) and SETTLER (7 letters). Aborigines are the indigenous people of Australia, who have lived in the continent for over 50, 000 years. They are believed to have migrated from Africa and Asia. Settlers, on the other hand, are people who move to a new area to establish a permanent residence. In the context of early inhabitants, settlers are typically those who arrived in a new area after the Aborigines.