Dust Echoes

Eora: Aboriginal Sydney Eora: Aboriginal Sydney, 1770 - 1850, offers an insight into Sydney and the local indigenous community in the years following the arrival of the Bèerewalgal, 'people from the clouds', in 1788. United by a common language, strong ties of kinship, and a rich saltwater economy, the indigenous inhabitants survived as skilled hunter-fisher-gatherers in family groups or clans scattered along the coast. They identified themselves as Eora (yura), simply meaning 'People', a word derived from Ee 'yes' and ora 'here' or 'this place', revealing their deep connection to the land. View the location of the tribes around Sydney Detail from Wallumedegal, Chart of Port Jackson NSW..., 1788, by George Raper The Eora territory spread from the Georges River and Botany Bay in the south to Port Jackson (Sydney Harbour), north to Pittwater at the mouth of the Hawkesbury River and west along the river to Parramatta. Read examples of the local vocabulary and observations by Philip Gidley King

The Dreaming Aboriginal dancers telling Dreamtime stories at the Sydney Olympics opening ceremony. Image source unknown. Warning. Australian Stories may contain the names and images of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people now deceased. The Dreaming for Australian Indigenous people (sometimes referred to as the Dreamtime or Dreamtimes) is when the Ancestral Beings moved across the land and created life and significant geographic features. The Dreaming, or 'Tjukurrpa', also means to 'see and understand the law' as it is translated from the Arrernte language (Frank Gillen with Baldwin Spencer, translating an Arrernte word Altyerrenge). Dreaming stories pass on important knowledge, cultural values and belief systems to later generations. Aborigines have the longest continuous of any group of people on Earth. The relationships between land, animals and people Once the ancestor spirits had created the world, they changed into trees, the stars, rocks, watering holes or other objects. Responsibilities

HISTORY IN PICTURES: RARE, UNSEEN PICTURES: BE THERE: The First World War: Trench Warfare Planks and sandbags were used to support the roof of the dug out in an effort to make them safer, as there was a huge risk that the roof could fall in on the soldier. This risk was greatly increased if shells had weakened the trench. Planks were also placed on the ground in the dug out to provide a hard wood base for the soldier to use as a bed. Blankets were hung over the front of the dug out to give the soldier a bit of privacy, but they did not however, give any protection against shell splinters. Living conditions for the soldiers were also very wet. The soldiers often had to stand with water up to their ankles, sometimes even their knees, and this caused them to suffer from a condition called "trench foot". The trenches were a perfect place for germs to thrive. Likewise, there were no antibiotics for the wounded, and their wounds often went septic. Unhygienic living conditions in trenches were to blame for many deaths. In the trenches, each day was much the same as the last.

How ancient Aboriginal star maps have shaped Australia's highway network The next time you’re driving down a country road in outback Australia, consider there’s a good chance that very route was originally mapped out by Aboriginal people perhaps thousands of years before Europeans came to Australia. And like today, they turned to the skies to aid their navigation. Except instead of using a GPS network, they used the stars above to help guide their travels. Aboriginal people have rich astronomical traditions, but we know relatively little about their navigational abilities. We do know that there was a very well established and extensive network of trade routes in operation before 1788. Star maps I was researching the astronomical knowledge of the Euahlayi and Kamilaroi Aboriginal peoples of northwest New South Wales in 2013 when I became aware of “star maps” as a means of teaching navigation outside of one’s own local country. My teacher of this knowledge was Ghillar Michael Anderson, a Euahlayi Culture Man from Goodooga, near the Queensland border. Parallels

The Waugul: State Library of Western Australia To the Noongar traditional owners and custodians, Western Australia’s Swan River, the Derbal Yerrigan has remained at the heart of their culture and heritage for more than 40,000 years. Aboriginal people cared for the land and its waters as an integral part of their spirit and culture prior to the arrival of Europeans. They would have seen periods of climate change and sea level rises. They lived in harmony with their land and waters, firing the bush, crossing the River, camping along the River banks, getting water from springs, hunting and fishing. Mythologically the River was created by the Waugals (giant serpents), who carved waterways and valleys as they made their way to the mouth of the river at Fremantle. "Boorloo had a series of lakes and big mobs of kwulla, the mullet, would come up from the sea around March to lay their eggs in the shallows where they wouldn’t be disturbed. The traditional owners of the land were deeply connected with the River.

Spirituality Spirituality for Indigenous Australians takes many forms. Its forms and practices have been profoundly influenced by the impact of colonialism, both past and present. Carl Bento © Australian Museum Some Indigenous Australians share the religious beliefs and values of religions introduced into Australia from other cultures around the world, particularly Europe. But for most people religious beliefs are derived from a sense of belonging-to the land, to the sea, to other people, to one's culture. The form and expression of spirituality differs between Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders. The Missions "So the sad thing about it all was the missionaries didn't realise that we already had something that tied in with what they'd brought to us. Since the European colonisation of Australia, Indigenous Australians have had contact with missionaries and their missions. However, not all missions were agents of government policies. The Dreaming What is the Dreaming? Dreaming Stories The Tagai

MELBOURNE'S 6 SEASONS Compiled by Dr. Beth Gott of the School of Biological Sciences, Monash University. All over Australia, Aborigines had their own local yearly calendars. Just as the climate in Kakadu is very different from that of Melbourne, so the Wurundjeri had their own way of marking the changing seasons. The division of the year into four seasons comes from Northern Europe, and does not fit Melbourne. We still think of winter as an unfavourable season for plants, when northern European trees drop their leaves and become dormant, but for our native plants, especially the small tuberous herbs, winter is a season of growth. Alan Reid originally suggested a calendar for the Middle Yarra region which has six seasons. Jones, Mackay and Pisani, from the University of Adelaide (Jones, D., Mackay, S. & Pisani, A. 1997 Patterns in the Valley of the Christmas Bush: a seasonal calendar for the upper Yarra Valley. Lifestyle depended very much on the rhythm of the seasons. Late Summer, February - Mid March.

Defining Terms: Myth, folklore, legend, etc. Fairy tales, myths, legends, and folklore are terms which may seem to mean the same thing: fanciful tales. This conception is seemingly validated by the fact that the terms are often used interchangeably. While it's true that the terms may refer to bodies of writing that are related at their most basic level as stories, they each present a unique reader experience. Here's what they mean... Myth A myth is a traditional story, which may describe the origins of the world and/or of a people. Many cultures have their own versions of common myths, which contain archetypal images and themes. Read more about myth: Mythology Folklore/Folktale Whereas myth has at its core the origins of a people, and is often sacred, folklore is a collection of fictional tales about people and/or animals. Here are some additional resources: Legend A legend is a story purported to be historical in nature, but without substantiation. Read more about legends: Fairy Tale Find additional stories about fantastic forces:

Untitled Weather cycles around Sydney from the Bodkin/Andrews clan of the D'harawal People Seasons of the year Goray'murrai Nov-Dec (approx) Time of the blooming of the Kai'arrewan (Acacia binervia) warm and wet, do not camp near rivers Parra'dowee the Great Eel calls his children to him Gadalung Marool Jan-Feb (aprox) Time of the blooming of the Weetjellan (Acacia implexa) hot and dry, eat only fruit and seeds Burra (kangaroos) start having their babies Bana'murrai'yung Mar-May (approx) Time of the ripening of the fruit of the Lillipilli (Syzygium spp) Wet, getting cooler, time to make cloaks and start the journey to the coast Marrai'gang, the tiger quoll seeks her mate Tugarah tuli Jun-Jul (approx) Time of the flowering of the Burringoa (Eucalyptus tereticornis) Cold, time to gather the nectar for ceremony, Barrugin, the echidna begin their gatherings. Tugarah gunya'marra Aug (approx) Murrai'yunggoray Sep-Oct (approx) © Bodkin/Andrews clan of the D'harawal People Climatic cycles GARUWANGA - Dreaming