HUNTING / GATHERING
At contact, the Aboriginal economy was based on a stable, considered
management of the environment and an effective organisation of labour.
Males and females made different but complementary economic contributions.
Women were primarily the gatherers of vegetables, roots, herbs,
fruits and nuts, eggs and honey, and small land animals such as
Snakes, Goannas. Men were the hunters of large land animals and
birds and also co-operated to organise large-scale hunting drives
to catch Emu's and Kangaroos. The collection and preparation of
this wide variety of bush food required the development of an efficient,
multifunctional technology, considerable practical skills, and its
seasonal changes. Some plant foods were easy to collect but required
complex preparation before they could be eaten.
SHELTER
A combination of nomadic lifestyle and the regions sunny climate
meant that there was no need to build substantial dwellings. The
shelter was relatively used in permanent camps and was consisting
in a frame work of saplings covered with a thatch of material locally
available.
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