Welcome to Emu Dreaming!
When the British first colonised Australia in 1788, many of the Aboriginal people that they drove from their land probably knew the Southern sky better than the most accomplished British navigators. But nobody thought to ask.
The southern sky is striking compared to that of the Northern hemisphere, often dominated by the magnificent river of the Milky Way weaving across the zenith, crossed by numerous dust lanes. For those living in Australia before the advent of streetlights, the night sky would be an important and integral part of their understanding of the world. Naturally, they would notice that particular stars or patterns are seen only at certain times of the year. Furthermore, since many chose to travel in the cool of the night, they would quickly find that stars are useful for navigation.
Across Australia are many different rich and vibrant Aboriginal cultures, each with its own astronomy. But there are common threads. Many have stories of a female Sun who warmed the land, and a male Moon who was once a young slim man (the waxing crescent Moon), but grew fat and lazy (the full Moon). But then he broke the law, and was attacked by his people, resulting in his death (the new Moon). After remaining dead for 3 days, he rose again to repeat the cycle, and continues doing so till this day.
Such stories abound in Aboriginal Dreamings, and it is our goal to learn and share Aboriginal Astronomy and help bridge the gap between Whit and Aboriginal Australia.
Latest News
Cosmic find unearthed using Aboriginal Dreaming story | Radio Interview
Macquarie Univesity PhD candidate Duane Hamacher has unearthed a previously unknown meteorite crater using a Western Arrernte Dreaming story about a star that fell to the earth at a place called Puka in Palm Valley, Northern Territory. The circular structure, found using Google Maps, was surveyed by Hamacher, Macquarie geophysicists Dr Craig O'Neill and Andrew Buchel, and Macquarie astrophysicist Tui Britton. The survey revealed the presence of shocked quartz - a prime indicator of cosmic impacts - in rock samples taken from the site. "The bowl shaped morphology of the crater cannot be explained by anything other than a cosmic impact. It was not caused by erosion and there is no volcanic activity in the region."
'Things belonging to the sky': a symposium on Indigenous Astronomy
2009 is the International Year of Astronomy and with CSIRO and the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR), AIATSIS is pleased to host the first forum for debate and discussion focused on Australian Indigenous Astronomy. In conjunction with the launch of art exhibition 'Ilgarijiri - things belonging to the sky', a one day symposium on Indigenous Astronomy will be held at the Institute on the 27th of November 2009. The symposium will bring together leading expertise in the field to share knowledge and perspectives about Australian Indigenous perceptions of the night sky.
ABC's Message Stick: Before Galileo (25:47).
In the International Year of Astronomy, astronomers world-wide are celebrating the 400th anniversary of Galileo turning a telescope to the sky and while some Aboriginal artists and elders are learning from astronomers and seeing a western view of their constellations, they in turn are teaching astronomers their stories and ways they have viewed the stars way before Galileo was born. Wardaman Senior elder Bill Yidumduma Harney from Menngen, near Katherine in the NT, was raised by Wardaman lore men and women in the bush, during the assimilation era and taught the spiritual and practical significance of reading the night sky.
William Dawes: the diaries (a Warawara launch).
The notebooks of Lieutenant William Dawes at the SOAS Library Special Collections are the major source of information about the Aboriginal language of Sydney and contain some Aboriginal Astronomy. They contain information of significance to Aboriginal communities of New South Wales, to linguists, historians, residents of Sydney, and many others. This website is the result of a collaboration between the Hans Rausing Endangered Languages Project and the Library Special Collections, both of which are based at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London. Our aim is to enable easy access to the notebooks through the publication of high quality images and a new electronic text version. Funding and resources for the project were provided by the Hans Rausing Endangered Languages Project, SOAS, and Aboriginal Affairs NSW.
ABC's 'Big Aussie Starhunt': Australia's first astronomers.
If you look up into the sky tonight, you can still spot the Emu in the Sky. You've almost certainly been looking at it all your life, but you've probably never seen it. The Emu is stretched across one of the most familiar objects in the night sky, the Milky Way. Look closely at the the Southern Cross and you'll see its head as a dark smudge tucked near the bottom left hand corner of the constellation. Its neck passes between the two pointer stars, and its dark body stretches the length of our luminous galaxy. Many different language groups have their own interpretation of the Emu's heavenly fate, along with a rich and diverse range of stories about animals and people. And it's not just stories you'll find — Aboriginal astronomy contains a map to understanding, surviving and living in harmony with this great southern land.
'The Astronomy of Aboriginal Australia' - IAU 260 Conference Proceedings
The traditional cultures of Aboriginal Australians include a significant astronomical component, which is usually reported in terms of songs or stories associated with stars and constellations. Here we argue that the astronomical components extend further, and include a search for meaning in the sky, beyond simply mirroring the earth-bound understanding. In particular, we have found that traditional Aboriginal cultures include a deep understanding of the motion of objects in the sky, and that this knowledge was used for practical purposes such as constructing calendars. We also present evidence that traditional Aboriginal Australians made careful records and measurements of cyclical phenomena, and paid careful attention to unexpected phenomena such as eclipses and meteorite impacts.
ABC Radio National: Aboriginal Astronomy (mp3)
One of the oldest human preoccupations is star-gazing. But although the study of astronomy is not usually associated with Indigenous Australians, a growing body of opinion suggests they were probably the first to seriously study the patterns of the planets and their connection to events on earth. Featuring Prof Ray Norris.
Acknowledgements
We wish to thank the traditional Aboriginal owners of the sites, songs, stories, and pictures represented on this web site, not only for allowing me to use them, but also for enriching all our lives by sharing them with us. We would also like to thank the Australian Institute of Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS), Buku Larrnggay Mulka Centre (Yirrkala, NT), Injaluk Arts & Crafts Centre, Gunbalanya (formerly Oenpelli, NT), Richard & Cynthia Hunter, of the Nganguraku People (SA), National Parks & Wildlife Service (NSW, NT), Northern Land Council (NT), State Library of NSW and the Mitchell Library, Sydney Metropolitan Land Council, Yirrkala Dhanbul Community Association (Yirrkala, NT), Sydney Observatory, Hugh Cairns, John Clegg, Paul Curnow, Kristina Everett, Serena Fredrick, John Goldsmith, Duane Hamacher, Bill Yidumduma Harney, Ian Maclean, John Morieson, Barnaby Norris, Cilla Norris, Adele Pring, and Clive Ruggles, those authors who have granted permission to reproduce their works here, and finally the Yolngu people and elders of the Yirrkala community in Arnhem Land for their hospitality, friendship, and willingness to share their culture.
