Aboriginal use of Timbers

[reeves]

Hey i was wondering if anyone knows anything about or has any experience with the Aboriginal use of Australian timber ?

I found this quite detailed doc here

http://www1.aiatsis.gov.au/aseda/spe...nga-timber.doc

It seems they had numerous uses for a variety of species as well drying techniques and finishes useing animal fat or wax such as spinifex..

Interetsing stuff, would'nt mind a cooktown ironwood spear thrower....mmmm

cheeeeeeeeeers
john

[Slow6]

there are a million and one outfits selling aborigional artifacts, especially round Alice and Darwin.. I reckon a google round whats for sale to the tourists will point you in the right direction. I'm sure you'd be able to hunt down some of the craftsmen and like most people who work with wood, I'd say they'd be more than happy to tell you all about it.
The more upmarket of the tourist dens will be buying directly from the craftsmen.
I did have the pleasure of an hour or so walk through the bush somewhere past Mataranka (sp?) who pointed out every tree we passed and its common uses. but it was years ago and I was less timber horny back then.

[ozwinner]

there are a million and one outfits selling aborigional artifacts, especially round Alice and Darwin...

I thought that it was illegal to sell aborigional artifacts.

I know where there a heap in the Back O' Burke

Al :confused:

[Slow6]

I thought that it was illegal to sell aborigional artifacts.

I know where there a heap in the Back O' Burke

Al :confused:

Maybe I'm getting the "artifacts" bit wrong.. I mean "wooden stuff made by Aborigines"
there are a fair amount of native ausies making a quid by selling their works.. some of it very finely crafted and far from your average $10 boomerang.

[Tony Morton]

Hi All
A few years ago I went to an Aboriginal centre near Cairns they had some beautiful hand crafted boomarangs made out of ply wood. When asked why they explained the trees were protected i guess when I go this year I will be able to buy a genuine craftwood crap boomerang.
cheers Tony

[madmix]

Dot paintings = walpamur paints applied with cotton buds
Coroboree = local mob with white zinc cream
timber uses = Fire
Dreamtime = carton green cans

seriously, not much traditional timber uses left, and most modern
artifacts are now produced cheap and nasty for the overseas
tourist trade

cheers Mick

[rsser]

Yeah, and one of your best mates is an Aboriginal.

...

Good post Reeves.

[Zed]

any more aborigianl jokes and this thread will be off to the orange room.

[shep]

gday

my job takes me to every property in the area that has mains power and it is amazing how meany sheds are in the scrub with asians pumping out artifacts that are sold as the real thing.

shep

[woodbe]

Well, in terms of genuine wooden 'artifacts', I think they are probably hard to come by, due to age, collectors and storage conditions.

I haven't been to Alice Springs for a few years now, but the wooden items on sale there were at least made from natural wood. We spent some time at Pipalyatjara in SA's far NW a few years ago, and observed some wood carving of some objects similar to those on sale in the Alice. Even managed to select a rather nice Bandicoot and Bush Turkey, along with the requisite snake and goanna.

Surprisingly, the wood doesn't seem to have split in the 17 years since. I've just shocked myself with how long it has been since we were there, it is terrific country, and a lovely people. We have many fond memories of our short stay with them.

woodbe.

[reeves]

mm yes thanks for the responses all. Yes woodbe, greta story mate, i am amazed at the quality and usability of the traditional wooden tools i have seen and i have fond memories of being in the bush with people. To get the genuine thing u would need oto go onto the communities not the tourist shops, tho some stuff sold may be good and local.

To the jokers.....I posted the question as a genuine question regarding the fact that for thousands of years before the Triton was invented pople used wood in Australia and 'maybe' we, as woodworkers, have something to learn from that.

"genuine artefacts' would seem to be the ones in museums and collection that were actually used by people who made them. They are still made in areas where the knowledge of how to make them has been retained. They are also still used in those areas during daily life to some extent.

Tourist artefacts may or may not be aboriginal in origin and certainly thay are fakes made for money.

My question is related to the few guniune 'tools' i have such as a woomera made by an old fella named Bulla in central australia around 1990. I worked there and he made it for me when i left. The amazing thing about is that its perfectly balanced as in you can balance it in the centre on one finger and its weighted perfectly, it has small point turned back intot he bowl shape tied on with Kangaroo tendon and spinifex wax...i dunno what kind of wood it is, hard and light, red ish color.

It obviously made with great skill. As is the boomerang i have that works..tho they can be made from anything in theory. I have a few other bits and peices, a digeridoo that is 'authentic, in that it was made traditionally near Yalata in SA, its pitched peoperly in E.

As for the jokes and off track comments and general ignornace, i ignore them, i have had many aboriginal friends over the years and have great respect for them as people and for their skills and knowledge.

If anyone have seen a full blood aboriginal person, with strong tribal law intact, in the bush, you would be amazed at their skills and knowledge of plants and animals, far beyond anything white people even know about.

Also the general skills of women and children using the wood and working it everyday would indicate that as far as using australian woods goes, aboriginal people could have one up on us from way back and we do indeed have something to learn form them.

cheeeeeers
john

[Waldo]

G'day Reeves,

I respect honest, hardworking and caring people from whatever walk of life, but no matter what or who they are, if they are otherwise I don't. I also have known and sadly lost contact with some very genuine, loving, caring honest aboriginals. But when you have people that destroy what they are given and ask for another only to destroy it to, well... But my previous statement was not a generalisation but something I have seen first hand. Why can't the truth be said, is it PC incorrect to do so.

To those aboriginals who are the loving, caring, hardworking and honsest people going about their lives they have my utmost respect for themselves and for their heritage.

[echnidna]

gday

my job takes me to every property in the area that has mains power and it is amazing how meany sheds are in the scrub with asians pumping out artifacts that are sold as the real thing.

shep

Well that's quite illegal,

thats the sorta thing thats bad for everyone black, white and honest asians.

should put them away.

[Lignum]

They used the red gum that oozes out of the Karri for toothaches by rubbing it inside their moths and gums. Smart

[knucklehead]

Reeves
this slightly off topic but, I followed the link you posted and ended up in here http://www.aiatsis.gov.au/.
They have some good material, but the site that shows so real promises is the library.
http://unicorn.aiatsis.gov.au/uhtbin...0021/60/1180/X
I did some quick searches on my surrounding areas. The search returns several documents that suggest they hold information about the traditional people in the area. The searches I did only located books and manuscripts, of course most of the documents are written by Europeans so their accuracy is questionable. Unfortunately none of them were available to view on line. Hopefully they will develop this and make more documents visible via the web.