The Aboriginal People

Australia was not discovered until the

1600s. Captain James Cooke of England sailed along the east coast of Australia in 1770 and renamed it New South Wales. Many ships began to arrive, full of convicts who were sent there to serve their sentences.

But they were not alone There was already a race of people who had been living in peace and harmony until that time. This race of people were called Aborigines.

Aborigine comes from the latin word

meaning from the beginning. The Aboriginal people have been living in Australia for over 40,000 years. Aborigines are thought to be one of the oldest, if not the oldest race of people in the world.

Aboriginal people were hunters and

gatherers.

Yams were a very important food.

They used their spears and boomerangs to

wound and kill animals.

They all belonged to tribes and there were

almost 500 different tribes, each with their own language when white people came to Australia. There were no kings, only elders and religious leaders. They did not fight over land this would prove to be their downfall

Dreamtime
Aboriginal people were very religious.
They believed the world began a long time

ago in a time called the dreamtime. This was when their ancestors created people and taught them how to live. Some of these ancestors were animals, some were plants and some were people.

The Rainbow Serpent

The Battle of Kuniya and Liru

http://www.upfromaustralia.com/batofliran

dk.html

Aboriginal Music
Would you like to hear some didgeridoo

sounds? http://www.didgeridoostore.com/didgerido o_soundsrhythms.html

Aboriginal Art
Aboriginal People are famous for their

unique designs. Here are some examples: