Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Aboriginal Australia
Aboriginal culture has evolved over thousands of years with strong links
between the spiritual, economic and social lives of the people. This heritage
has been kept alive from one generation to the next by the passing of know-
ledge and skills through rituals, art, cultural material and language.
Aboriginal Culture
Aborigines originally had an oral tradition, therefore language played an extremely im-
portant part in maintaining and preserving Aboriginal cultures through the passing of
knowledge. Today there is a national movement to revive Aboriginal languages and there
remains a strong Aboriginal art sector. Traditional knowledge is being implemented in sci-
ence, natural resource management and government programs. Aboriginal culture was
never static but evolved with the changing times and environment. New technologies and
mediums are now used to tell their stories, and cultural tourism and hospitality ventures,
where visitors can experience an Aboriginal perspective, have been established. You can
learn all about ancestral beings at particular natural landmarks, look at rock art that is
thousands of years old, taste traditional indigenous foods or attend an Aboriginal festival
or performance. There are so many opportunities on offer and many activities opened to
the public are advertised in both Aboriginal and mainstream media.
Support for cultural programs is sporadic and depends on the political climate at the
time. However, Aboriginal people are determined to maintain their links with the past and
to also use their cultural knowledge to shape a better future.
Land
Aboriginal land ethic was based on humans fitting into the ecology and not outside of it.
Everything was connected and not viewed as just soil and rocks but as a whole environ-
ment that sustained the spiritual, economic and cultural lives of the people. In turn, Abori-
ginal people sustained the land by conducting ceremonies, rituals, songs and stories. This
interrelation was developed and practised over thousands of years. For Aboriginal people
land is intrinsically connected to identity and spirituality. All land in Australia is reflected
in Aboriginal lore but particular places may be significant for religious and cultural be-
liefs. Some well-known sites are The Three Sisters in the Blue Mountains and Warreen
Cave in Tasmania with artefacts dated around 40,000 years old.
Sacred sites can be parts of rocks, hills, trees or water and are associated with an ances-
tral being or an event that occurred. Often these sites are part of a Dreaming story and link
