History
Indigenous forest use
Indigenous Australians have lived on the Australian continent for over 50,000 years. Over this time, forests have been an integral part of Aboriginal life, not only as part of ancestral Dreamtime mythology, but also as a source of essential materials, food and water.
Archaeological artefacts, historical records and oral history have shown that the flora and fauna of forests and woodlands provided the essential elements of many familiar Aboriginal wares such as bark canoes, spears, boomerangs, didgeridoos and shields. Forest animals were also important as they provided food as well as clothing worn by Aboriginal people in the colder southern climates. Understorey forest plants were a source of food and also provided raw materials for weaving baskets, pigments for art, and many medicines.
Aboriginal people have a strong connection with the land and managed the forests in harmony with the environment. Recent scientific research has shown that traditional burning practices of Aboriginal people affected the composition and structure of some forest types in Australia. Even today, traditional knowledge about burning vegetation is used by many indigenous people in northern Australia and is being integrated into modern land management programs.
Australian Aboriginal making a boomerang
Photo: Forest Wood Products Research and Development Corporation
Read more about: The National Indigenous Forestry Strategy.
Case study – Indigenous forest management
An Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Officer is an Aboriginal person working in forests to conserve the qualities and attributes of places that have spiritual, historic, scientific or social value for past, present or future generations.
Officer, Kevin Smith
Photo: David Barnes/Forests
NSW Image Library
Kevin Smith is a descendent from the Dunggutti Nation and works to maintain a connection between Aboriginal people and forests. He does this by protecting areas of cultural heritage significance as part of forest management in NSW.
“You have to understand that Aboriginal people are very protective about their sites. They would rather not say where sites are, as they say the best protection is not to disclose the location. That is why you won’t see many artefacts in Local Aboriginal Land Council offices or in the homes of Aboriginal people” says Kevin.
Forests NSW honours this confidentiality and engages Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Officers like Kevin to work in partnership with Aboriginal communities to not only protect areas of cultural significance but to ensure ongoing access to forests for cultural purposes.
To read a further case study read “Great Southern Plantations – A leader in indigenous employment”
Great Southern Plantations - A leader in indigenous employment - (PDF - 300KB)
