Australian Aboriginal artefacts facts for kids

Aboriginal man with shield and boomerang

Child asleep in wooden dish, central Australia, c.1940s

Australian Aboriginal artefacts are special tools and objects used by Aboriginal Australians for thousands of years. Many of these items had more than one use. They helped people with daily tasks like hunting, cooking, carrying things, and even communicating. Some artefacts were also used for ceremonies or as toys for children.

Tools for Hunting and Protection

Aboriginal people used many different tools for hunting animals and for protection. These included shields, spears, spear-throwers, boomerangs, and clubs. The types of tools used often depended on where people lived. For example, people in one area might use boomerangs and shields, while others might use clubs.

Aboriginal men with spears and shields

The style of these tools also changed from place to place. A shield from Central Australia looked very different from one made in North Queensland.

Spears: Tools for Many Uses

Spears were very important tools for Aboriginal people. They used them for hunting, fishing, and gathering food. Spears were also used in friendly competitions and sometimes in disagreements. They were even part of special ceremonies and could be traded.

Long ago, people threw spears by hand. Later, they developed spear-throwers. These tools helped throw spears much further and more accurately. Spears were made from different materials like soft wood, bamboo, or cane. The sharp tips could be made from stone, shell, bone, or even fish teeth. These tips were attached using sticky plant resins, glues, or strong plant fibres.

Clubs: Strong and Useful Tools

An Aboriginal club, also called a waddy or nulla-nulla, had many uses. People used them for hunting, fishing, and digging. They were also used in battles and in ceremonies. Some fighting clubs, like the 'Lil-lil', were made from very hard woods. They could deliver powerful blows. Many clubs were made stronger by heating them in fire. Some even had sharp stone pieces attached to the handle with plant resin.

Boomerangs: A Symbol of Australia

Aboriginal man with boomerang, near Yuendumu

The boomerang is a famous symbol of Australia. Not all boomerangs come back to the thrower. The ones that do are called 'returning boomerangs'. The oldest wooden boomerang found in Australia is about 9,500 years old. It was found in South Australia.

Boomerangs were used for many things:

• Hunting animals or in friendly competitions.
• Digging in the ground.
• Cutting things like knives.
• Starting fires by rubbing them together.
• Making music as percussion instruments.

Shields: Protecting Warriors

Aboriginal shields from Ian Potter Centre

Shields were mainly used by Aboriginal warriors to protect themselves during disputes. A shield that had never been defeated was seen as very powerful. It was a highly valued possession. Shields were made from wood or bark. They often had beautiful carved patterns or painted designs. Shields were also used in special ceremonies called corroborees.

There were two main types of Aboriginal shields:

• Broad shields: These were wide but thin. They were used to block spears.
• Parrying shields: These were thick, strong, and narrow. They were used to deflect blows from clubs.

Shields were made from different materials depending on the area, like buttress root, mulga wood, or bark. A handle was either attached or carved into the back. They were often painted with red and white patterns. Some shields, like the Tawarrang, were long and narrow. They could even be used as musical instruments when hit with a club!

Shields from the North Queensland rainforest are very popular with collectors. They have amazing painted designs. These shields were made from the large roots of rainforest fig trees. They were painted with red, yellow, white, and black colours using natural materials like ochre (a type of clay), clay, charcoal, and sometimes even human blood. The blood was added to show a deep connection between the owner and the shield. Each shield had a unique design. These designs often showed the owner's connection to their family group and their land.

Famous Shields in Museums

Museum Collections

The Australian Museum

Aboriginal Shields from the Australian Museum collection This museum has a wooden shield from the Kuku Yalanji people of the Daintree Rainforest in Queensland.

The British Museum

The Gweagal Shield 1770 One of the most important and oldest Aboriginal shields is the Gweagal shield. Many believe Captain Cook collected it in 1770. It is about 97 cm long and 29 cm wide. It has a hole in the middle. Scientists think this hole might have been caused by a firearm during Cook’s visit in 1770. This shield is now in the British Museum in England. It is a very special item because of its long history and cultural importance.

Watercraft: Boats for Travel and Fishing

Aboriginal bark canoe making

Aboriginal communities used different types of boats. The most common were bark canoes and dugout canoes. People learned how to build these boats by watching and listening, not from written instructions. Canoes were used for fishing, hunting, and travelling.

Bark Canoes: Light and Fast

Bark canoes were usually made from the bark of Eucalyptus trees. The bark had to be taken off the tree at the right time of year, usually during the wet season. This made sure the bark was flexible and didn't harm the tree too much. The bark was cut and carefully peeled. Sometimes, more than one piece of bark was used. Trees where bark was taken for canoes can still be seen today with their special "canoe scars."

The bark was shaped by heating it with fire and soaking it in water. The ends of the canoe were tied with strong plant fibres. Branches were used to make the canoe stronger, and clay or mud sealed any gaps. Because they were light, bark canoes were used in calm waters like rivers, lakes, and bays. Men would throw spears to catch fish, while women used hooks and lines. People used bark paddles or even thick leafy branches to move the canoe.

Dugout Canoes: Stronger for Open Water

Dugout canoes were a big step forward in boat technology. They were much stronger and better for open seas and rougher conditions. These canoes were used to hunt large animals like dugongs and sea turtles.

Stone Tools: Everyday Essentials

Aboriginal grain grinding

Aboriginal people used stone tools every day. These included cutting tools and grinding stones. Cutting tools were made by hitting a larger stone to break off sharp pieces called flakes. Grinding stones included large flat stones and smaller hand-held stones called mullers.

Quartzite was a common material for making flakes, but other hard stones were also used. Flakes could be used to make spear points, blades, or knives. Grinding stones were used to grind grass seeds into flour for bread. They also helped to get marrow from bones.

Stone tools were not just practical; they also had special spiritual meaning. Many Indigenous Australians believe that a stone tool holds the spirit of an ancestor who once owned it. Some grinding stones found in New South Wales are 30,000 years old!

Coolamons and Carriers: For Carrying and Caring

Coolamons are special Aboriginal bowls. They were used to carry water, food, and even to cradle babies. Coolamons could be made from wood, bark, animal skin, or woven plant materials. When people travelled long distances, they often carried coolamons on their heads. A soft ring called Akartne was placed under the coolamon to help balance the weight. These rings were made from possum hair, feathers, or twisted grass.

Coolamons in Museums

Museum Collections

Australian Museum	Aboriginal Coolamons and Carriers from the Australian Museum collection This museum has a bark water carrying vessel from Flinders Island, Queensland, collected in 1905. It's made from a eucalyptus tree trunk that was burned and smoothed to hold water. They also have a water bag made from kangaroo skin, collected in 1893.
South Australian Museum	This museum has a wooden coolamon collected in 1971.

Message Sticks: Ancient Communication

Message stick

Message sticks, also called "talking-sticks," were used by Aboriginal communities to send important messages. These messages could be invitations, news of a death, or even declarations of war. They were made of wood and usually flat, with symbols carved on all sides to explain the message. The type of wood or shape of the stick could also be part of the message.

Special messengers carried these sticks over long distances. They could even travel through different tribal areas safely. Once the message was delivered, the message stick was often burned.

Message Sticks in Museums

Museum Collections

Australian Museum	Aboriginal Message Sticks from the Australian Museum collection The Australian Museum has 230 message sticks.
South Australian Museum	This museum has 283 message sticks.
British Museum	The British Museum has 74 message sticks.
National Museum of Australia	The National Museum of Australia has 53 message sticks.
Pitt Rivers Museum	This museum has a message stick from the 1800s made of Acacia homalophylla from Queensland. It was an invitation to hunt emu and wallaby. Zig-zag symbols meant 'emu', and cross-hatching meant 'wallaby'.

Ornaments: For Decoration and Status

Some Aboriginal people used materials like teeth and bone to make beautiful ornaments. These included necklaces and headbands.

Teeth Ornaments

The most common teeth ornaments were made from the lower front teeth of kangaroos or wallabies. A very interesting discovery was a necklace made from 178 Tasmanian devil teeth! This was found in New South Wales in 1969. Ornaments for the forehead were also made from porpoise and dolphin teeth. Crocodile teeth were mainly used in Arnhem Land.

Bone Ornaments

Bones were often used for necklaces and pendants. These were sometimes worn for special rituals or to show a person's age or status. Bone ornaments found in Queensland were made from the toe bones of kangaroos and dingoes. In western Victoria, echidna quills were used to make necklaces. Eagle talons were also used in ornaments in Central Australia.

Pearl Shells

Riji are special pearl shells worn by Aboriginal men in north-west Australia, near Broome. The word riji comes from the Bardi language. Before they are decorated, the shells are called guwan. Lines called ramu are carved onto the guwan. These lines often show sacred patterns or traditional stories, and then the shell becomes a riji. Sometimes, ochre is added to the carvings for colour. Riji are connected to water, spiritual powers, healing, and life.

Clothing

Possum-skin Cloaks

Possum-skin cloaks were important traditional garments. They were made from many possum skins sewn together.

Kopis: Mourning Caps

The Kopi mourning cap was a special hat made from clay. It was mostly worn by women after a loved one died, sometimes for up to six months. After cutting their hair, they would weave a net from emu tendons. This net was placed on their head and covered with layers of gypsum, a white clay. These caps could be very heavy (up to 7 kg!). When the mourning period ended, the Kopi was placed on the grave of the person who had died.

Children's Toys: Fun and Learning

Aboriginal children's toys were not just for fun; they also helped children learn important skills. Toys were made from different materials depending on what was available in each area.

Dolls

"Dolls" could be made from plants, with branches tied together with string and grass. Features were often painted with clay to look like a baby. Dolls made from Xanthorrhoea plants are called Kamma dolls. Shell dolls were also made from conical shells and often wrapped in fabric to show age or status.

Rattles

Rattles were made from various materials, depending on what could be found nearby. For example, they could be made from land snail shells, sea snail shells, or seeds. These were strung together with string or hair and often painted.

Bags and Baskets

In areas like Arnhem Land and Cape York, children’s bags and baskets were made from woven plant fibres.

Toy Spears and Shields

Boys used blunt wooden play spears in pretend battles and throwing games. This helped them practice skills they would need as adults.

Toys in Museums

Sacred Items

Some artefacts were considered sacred and used in special ceremonies. These include bullroarers (which make a roaring sound), didgeridoos (a wind instrument), and carved boards called churinga.

Keeping Places

A Keeping Place is a special place managed by Aboriginal communities. It is where they keep important cultural items, artefacts, art, and knowledge. These places help protect and share Aboriginal heritage. An example is the Krowathunkooloong Keeping Place in Gippsland, Victoria.

See also

• Australian Aboriginal culture
• Indigenous Collection (Miles District Historical Village)
• Lizard Island#Mangrove Beach, a 2024 pottery finding