Aboriginal culture has existed in Australia for over 50,000 years. The document provides information about Aboriginal communities, including their languages, religious beliefs, food, art, music and how knowledge is passed down between generations. It notes that when Europeans arrived, it disrupted Aboriginal communities and many families were killed. The document also contains facts about the Torres Strait Islander people and their culture, including their flag, art, and ceremonial headpieces.

1. Find out about:
Aboriginal culture
1. Find the meaning of the following words: Culture and Aboriginal?
2. How long have they lived in Australia?
3. What happened with the Aboriginal communities when Europeans
discovered Australia and started living here?
4. Where in Australia can you find Aboriginal communities?
5. Which Aboriginal communities live in Victoria?
6. Why do Australians these days often make the acknowledgement of
the aboriginal culture?

2. What do we know about the
Aboriginal culture?
7. What language(s) do they speak?
8. Do they have a religion/ belief? How do they live? What do they eat?
9. How do the children learn things from their ancestors?
10. What is their music like? Which instruments do they play?
11. Where can you find old aboriginal art? What does it look like? What
is it made of? What does it tell?
12.Find names of famous Aboriginal artists and what art they make.

3. Aboriginal communities in Australia

4. Aboriginal people

5. Aboriginal facts
First Aboriginals came to Australia
50.000 years ago
The word Aboriginal means first
people. Can be in any country.
Here in AU it is a specific group.
They have 360 different dialects
A lot of the languages got lost
because many Aboriginal families
were killed by the white people.
The stories tell us about their
ancestors. (Dreamtime). Different
communities have different stories

6. More facts
Music: they sing and play
didgeridoo (Arnhem Land NT),
clapsticks and djembe (Victoria).
Listen to some music.

7. Aboriginal Art
•Art is based on stories and symbols of
the dreamtime, the history of the
ancestors
•The art is used as a language, just like
dance and songs
•The stories teach about moral, good
and bad
•You need permission from the
storyteller to use their story
First artworks were made in sand, and
on rocks and on bark. They use ochre
to make paint. See the stones.
Later artworks were made on canvas
and board. Dots in artwork are like a
secret language
Different groups have own style
Aboriginals can earn money and get
more respected with their art.
Aboriginal Art can only be called that
if made by an Aboriginal artist.

8. Aboriginal symbols

9. Rock paintings and using ochre

10. Bark painting 1970

11. Boomerang old and new
The boomerang was an instrument to hunt. Only men were allowed to
use it. Later it had a decorative purpose and is a popular item with
tourists.
Decorate the cardboard boomerang on the black side with symbols/
patterns using an ocre rock/soft pastels. Varnish with spray.
Paint the other side of the boomerang in a modern colour: blue or
green or purple. Use paint roller and hairdryer.
Use filter tips to paint dot patterns in bright colours on the modern
coloured side of the boomerang.

12. What do you see? From which
angle is the landscape pictured?

13. Kimberly area:
Ochre paintings
using natural
pigment in
earthy colours
Central/West: Acrylic
paintings: bright colours,
often using dots
Top End: geometrical
patterns: x-ray images
often on bark
Koori Art
on shields

14. Michael Nelson Jagamara: Possum,Goanna and snake at Mt.Singleton, 1996

15. Discuss one painting in your group: what do you see,
think , wonder.
Molly Martin Napurrurla
“Bush potato dreaming”, 1986
Western Central desert

16. Example of description
Example: I see goanna’s and
snakes they are after the eggs.
There is a travelling sign, the
waterholes are resting places.
There are possum tracks. It is a
modern painting because they
use colours which are not
found in the australian bush
like blue and green. So it is
acryllic paint. I like it because…

17. Create your own landscape with a journey. Use appropriate
symbols, colours and from what angle to draw the landscape.
Write down your ideas in your visual diary and make a sketch of your
design.

18. Research: Torres Strait Islands

19. Torres Straight Islander & Aboriginal
flags; what do they represent?

20. Aboriginal flag
Who designed the Aboriginal flag?
….....................................................
Write down the meaning of each
colour:
Red:
Black:
Yellow circle:

21. Torres Strait Islander Flag
Who designed this
flag?..............................................
What does each colour represent?
Green =
Blue =
Black =
White =
What does the Dhari reperesent?
The star is the symbol of…...........
and is used for...............................

22. Torres Strait Islander culture
The Dhari is worn as a headpiece in ceremonies .

23. Torres Strait Islander Art: different techniques:
sculptures, prints, paintings or weaving. These
are lino prints.

24. 3D artworks: Shark dance mask &
Crocodile mask

25. Create a T.S.I. border/frame, using
their decorative patterns.