Moving to Australia: A Brief Guide to Australia’s Indigenous People

Whatever your reasons for considering Removals to Australia, whether they be for business or pleasure, to be closer to family, or simply going in search of a warmer climate, Moving Partnership can help. We take the stress out of removals to Australia by taking care of all of the arrangements for you.

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When moving to Australia, one thing that either you or the younger members of your family will to be interested to learn about is the Australian way of life and particularly that of Australia's indigenous people, the Aborigines.

Who Are the Aborigines?

It is generally held that the Aborigines arrived in Australia some 40,000 to 60,000 years ago   and are descendant from a group of people originally hailing from Indonesia. Back then, the world was a very different shape; sea levels were 400-600 feet lower on account of the polar ice caps being very much larger and this would have meant that the Australian land mass, was much larger than it is today.

The distance between the shores of the Australian continent and Asia would, at that time, have been no greater than 80 miles, close enough for the Indonesians to see the smoke emanating from Australia's naturally occurring bush fires;, smoke that would have been more than enough to tempt the intrepid boatmen of Indonesia to want to visit, explore and colonise this distant land.

Having landed on the island, they would have spread out along its coastline to the south and north, not wishing to venture too far inland. Some would have made their way to Tasmania and eventually to colonise every part of Australia, adapting as they went, to the diversities of the land and evolving to cope more efficiently and effectively with those diversities.

The Different Names for Aborigines

Aborigines or indigenous Australians are referred to by different names and have different languages depending on their geographical location. They are the tribal names of Bama, Koori, Murri, Noongar, Nunga, Anangu and Palawah and some of their languages include: Anggamudi, Kuku ya’u, Umpithamu, Atambaya, Kuku Yalanji, Umplia, Awualay, Moorabalama, Uradhi, Gudang, Taepathigi, Warrangu, Kaantju, Thanikwithi, Kugu Muminh, Kugu Muinh, Wik Mungkan, Kuku Thaayorre, Tjungundji, Yadhaykkenu, Kuku Thaypan, Umbuygamu and Yupangathi.

The Bama can be found throughout the area from Kuku Yalanji, north of Cairns, from the east coast through the land of the Kunjen and on to the country of the Kokoberra in the south west of Cape York, then north to the tip of Cape York Peninsula.

 Koori (or Koorie or Goori or Goorie) is the term is used for the aboriginal people of Victoria, parts of New South Wales and Tasmania. It is the indigenous people's own word for themselves and originated from the North-Coast of what is now New South Wales.

The Murri traditionally occupied most of Queensland. They are a collection of tribes and larger family groupings which include, amongst others: the Yugarabul, the Jagera and the Kwiambal.

 The Noongar from Perth and Albany have lived in the area for at least 45,000 years. There are even some caves at Devil's Lair amongst the hills of Margaret River dating back 47,000 years. Noongars travelled and traded with other families. The Albany Highway was once a Noongar track between families in Perth and Albany.

Nunga is a term used by many of the Aboriginal peoples of southern South Australia to refer to themselves.

The Anangu are the custodians of Uluru. They can be found in northern South Australia, and neighbouring parts of Western Australia and the Northern Territory.   The Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara people are the traditional custodians of the land that encompasses Uluru and Kata Tjuta and like to be referred to as Anangu.

 The Palawah (or Pallawah) are those who live on Tasmania. The Palawa have been around for nearly 2,000 generations; their origins date from the beginnings of the last Ice Age. They moved into Tasmania looking for hunting grounds and camping in caves and rock shelters.

Finding Out More About the Aborigines

If you move to Australia, you may want to find out more about the aborigines and their way of life. Some of the best places to visit to learn more about these incredible people are the Aboriginal art centres.

Aboriginal Art Centres

Aboriginal art and art centres can be found all over Australia. The centres play an important role in their local towns and cities, bringing Aboriginal art to the attention of the wider community and the world as a whole. There are over 50 such centres across Australia, mainly concentrated in central and northern Australia.

They are a base for the artists and provide a source of income for people who would otherwise have very little chance of paid employment. Most operate in remote locations under difficult circumstances but they give the artists the chance to earn the money necessary to buy food and equipment.

Most of the arts centres have been developed under the watchful eye of the Aboriginal councils and management committees. These committees employ arts advisers with skills in art production or marketing to run the centres and help to make them as profitable as possible whilst, at the same time, helping to ensure that the goods, artefacts and pictures on sale, are genuine.

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