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ABORIGINAL HISTORY. AREA OF STUDY 1. Evidence suggests that the aboriginal people arrived in Australia by land bridges and paddling from South East Asia at least 60,000 years ago and possible up to 120,000 years.
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ABORIGINAL HISTORY AREA OF STUDY 1
Evidence suggests that the aboriginal people arrived in Australia by land bridges and paddling from South East Asia at least 60,000 years ago and possible up to 120,000 years. • Indigenous Australians believe they did not migrate to Australia. This is confirmed in their ‘Dreaming’. The ‘Dreaming’ tell us about their spirituality and their strong entrenchment with the land.
Everything and everyone that was touched by the spirit ancestors became spiritually linked. When the spirits die they are either absorbed into the earth, creating features in the landscape, or they drift up into the sky. This belief explains the strong relationship, ultimate respect and intimate bond that Aboriginal people have with their environment. • The Dreaming also provides the law that the Aboriginal people have with their environment. • Stories of the Dreaming are passed down from generation to generation in the form of conversation, art, dance and song and provide the basis for a rich spiritual life.
Aboriginal perceptions of the environment are closely tied to their spirituality and their uses of the land are more than just a means of survival. • They live in harmony with the land. They believe it is their responsibility to care and protect it. This way the land continues to provide for them.
It was estimated that around the time of European settlement there were between 300,000 and 1,500,000 Aboriginals. They live in small communities or clans all over the country. In Victoria an estimated 18,000 Aboriginal people lived in 38 distinct groups.
Over thousands of years Aboriginal people have expanded their knowledge of the land by observing the seasonal effects of nature. They developed land management techniques to ensure their survival.
Fire was the most common method for managing the land (plants and animals). Fire stick farming involves burning small areas of land in a patchwork pattern to reduce the incidence of larger more devastating fires. Burning promotes regrowth which advantageous to plants, animals and humans. To frequent burning off may be responsible for the many grasslands and woodlands present when the Europeans arrived. • New plant shoots that emerged after a burning attracted animals which became an easy target.
Another form of regenerations and sustainable hunting used by aboriginal people is in the establishment of Conservation or Sanctuary Zones. These places were very special and no hunting, gathering or burning took place. Plants and animals thrived in these areas and eventually overflowed the boundaries where they could be sustainably hunted and gathered.
THE WOIWURRUNG • When Europeans first settled the Port Phillip region it was already occupied by five Aboriginal language groups. These groups spoke a related language and were part of the KULIN (Koolin) nation of peoples.
The people are: • Woiwurrung (Woy-wur-rung) - The WurundjeriPeople • Boonerwrung(Bun-er-rong) - The Boonerwrung People • Wathaurong (Wath-er-rong) - The Wathaurong People • Taungerong(Tung-ger-rong) - The Taungerong People • Dja Dja Wrung (Jar-Jar wrung) - The Jaara People
Traditionally, the Kulin people lived as hunters and gatherers for many generations. Seasonal changes in the weather and availability of foods would determine where campsites were located.
