A Brief History: Australia
When I first started to do my research into the current inhabitants of Australia, I didn’t want to do the standard Sydney Bondai Beach blog. I believe that the only way to see the full beauty of any country, is to go to”native”.
So I went there, where at aboriginaljourneys.com providing a full package tour comprising of;
Discovering incredible landscapes, experience Aboriginal culture, and staying in an unique outback lodges.
The term aboriginal refer to the various indigenous peoples of the Australian mainland and many of its islands, such as Tasmania, Fraser Island, Hinchinbrook Island, the Tiwi Islands, and Groote Eylandt, and Torres Strait Islanders collectively. There are about 500 different Aboriginal peoples of Australia. And it’s good to know that each come with their own language and territory, usually made up of a large number of separate clans.
The best to immerse yourself in the culture, is to get onboard with one of the many tours available. So, after a few days of “wild bush luxury,” they will fly you to Australia’s iconic Red Centre, where you will discover why Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park is considered to be the spiritual heart of Australia.
Sacred to the Pitjantjatjara, people of that area and known as the Aṉangu, (to tourists by its non-aboriginal name of Ayers Rock).
The area surrounding the formation is home to an abundance of springs, waterholes, rock caves and ancient paintings. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Uluru and Kata Tjuta, are also known as the Olgas, the two major features of the Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park.
As one of Australia’s most recognisable natural landmarks, it has been a popular destination for tourists since the late 1930s. But more importantly it is one of the most important indigenous sites in Australia.
Here, you can witness the mesmerizing Uluru magically change colours at sunrise and where you can be were treated to a spectacular dining experience under a canopy of stars with Uluru and Kata Tjuta in the background.
Aboriginal artwork is a form of visual storytelling, each tribe has symbols that relate to a meaning. There are iconic symbols too, which are relevant to multiple tribes and include eagle feet, waterholes and digging sticks. Colours can be linked to meaning as well, but this is rare, and only some tribes can understand what colours relate to which meaning. Blue tones (to represent the ocean
Throughout Australia, Aboriginal history has been handed down in the ways of stories, dances, myths and legends. Take the dreaming, which symbolises history.
The dreaming, which tells us about how the stars were formed and how the sun came to be. Its a brief history of how the world, which was featureless, was transformed into mountains, hills, valleys and waterways.
In the metropolitan area of Sydney there are thousands of Aboriginal sites, over 1000 just in the AHO partner Council areas, all worth a visit. These sites are under threat every day from development, vandalism and natural erosion.
As these sites cannot be replaced, once they are destroyed, they are gone forever.
In particular the sites located in Lane Cove, North Sydney, Willoughby, Ku-ring-gai, Strathfield and Northern Beaches Council areas are still in reasonable condition and hold an important part in the country’s history.
The Aboriginal people, who once occupied this area, left important evidence of their past and way of life before colonisation.
Emphasis is placed on the scientific investigation into stone technology at these sites. A great deal of insight can be obtained by studying the manufacture techniques and animals associated with them, that tells us about previous daily traditional life.
Clues to what these sites were used for can also be surmised by talking with Elders from other parts of Australia where traditional knowledge has not been lost to the same degree.
However, all of the sites are significant to the Aboriginal people because they are evidence of the past Aboriginal occupation of Australia and are valued as a link with their traditional culture.
