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Australia before 1788
Topic : Australia before 1788
In this topic you will learn...
Chapter 1 :
The Dreaming
Indigenous peoples arrived in Australia over 50 000 years ago
There were many different Indigenous groups living in Australia
All Indigenous groups believed in the Dreaming
The Dreaming tells of how the world was created by spirit ancestors
Knowledge of the Dreaming was passed down through words
The Dreaming provided rules for how the land should be looked after
There are many different stories or legends from the Dreaming
Chapter 2 :
The land: Spirit, clans and survival
The land formed the basis for Indigenous society and survival
Indigenous peoples believe that they do not own the land like the. Europeans
Indigenous peoples believe it is their duty to care for the land
Indigenous peoples have a deep spiritual link with the land
The family is the basic structure unit within Indigenous society
Small Indigenous family groups live together and form a ';band'
In a band, there are different clans
Clans were people related by descent from a common ancestor
A whole clan can come together at various times throughout the year
Indigenous peoples used the land and its resources to hunt and gather food
Chapter 3 :
Indigenous law
The Dreaming provided Indigenous people with laws to rule their behaviour
Indigenous laws covered everything
The rules for ceremonies and other rituals came from the Dreaming
Laws were taught to children through stories, music, dance and ceremonies
Arguments in Indigenous society could be settled by informal negotiation
The opinions of elders within Indigenous society were very important
Punishments were given if people broke the rules
Disputes between Indigenous groups were usually settled at gatherings
Chapter 4 :
Indigenous art
Indigenous art is a visual expression of the people's beliefs
Indigenous art refers to painting, carving, sculpture and designs
A limited number of colours were used in Indigenous paintings
The colours came from a number of different natural sources
The style of art depended on the environment and traditional practices
Mimi art was a style of art that painting small spirit-beings
X-ray art shows the outline and internal organs of animals
Symbolic art tells stories through intricate patters
Ceremonial art was wiped away when no longer needed
Modern art incorporates traditional design with modern European methods
Chapter 5 :
Sharing knowledge, conserving information and history
Different Indigenous groups shared knowledge and information
Sharing has always been a strong element in Indigenous families
Knowledge and information was passed down from adults to children
Initiation ceremonies were performed for children about to become adults
Both boys and girls had initiation ceremonies
There was no written Indigenous language
Sharing information about the past through words is known as oral history
Sign language could be used if the same language is not spoken
Chapter 6 :
Before the British: early visitors to Australia
Indigenous people inhabited all areas of Australia
Many different people visited Australia before the arrival of the British
Indonesian traders from Macassar regularly visited the north of Australia
Papuan people visited the Aborigines in the Cape York Peninsula
Papuan and Macassan traders influenced the Indigenous culture
Dutch sailors were the first Europeans to record landing on Australia
William Dampier was the first Englishman to visit Australian shores
Captain Cook explored the east coast of Australia in 1770
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18 colour images
3 flash animations
5 videos
1 final exam
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