Interested in indigenous weapons From Australia? Learn more about Australian indigenous weapons and how they are utilized in everyday life…
There are many distinct indigenous Australian weapons that are used by the natives in their daily lives. From hunting for food to transporting items from different place these tools and weapons are part of the survival mechanisms of the people from this land.
Material Used for Making Indigenous Australian Weapons
The materials used for crafting indigenous Australian weapons include timber and strings which are derived from various plants. This includes the glue from plants and the sinews of various endemic Australian animals.
Fire is used to straighten, harden or bend timber. Men are known to use weapons like the boomerang, spears and rifles.
Aboriginal Lifestyle Influences on Indigenous Australian Weapons
The Aborigines are mistakenly considered a nomadic people. In reality they just move to follow the bush food supply. Foods are available on a seasonal basis and are often required for different ceremonies.
In fact during their search for food they actually leave the tools required for certain harvest at the site of the crop and recover them the following year to harvest grass or other crops.
The Spears and Spear Throwers
A very large collection of different spears utilizing different materials are crafted by the indigenous peoples of Australia. The weapons are designed in a large number to serve different purposes and many a time fire is used to harden or straighten out the wood.
Strong hardwood is used to make spears, which can then be used to kill the large sized kangaroos or buffaloes. This hardwood is durable enough to penetrate the thick skin of fast moving animals. The spearhead or the point is crafted out of sharp stone, which is ground to a pointed end and then attached very neatly and in a secure manner to the spear handle. This is a combination of string or sinew, which is further reinforced with resin. If a grinding stone is not available for the edge then the wood is treated in fire to make it hard and durable.
Conversely the fishing spears are light and have several barbed points using bamboo. For bird hunting the spears are also very lightweight and flexible. The aim is not to kill the bird but simply damage the flapping wing or neck.
Fighting spears are used as weapons and have hardwood as well as barbs and the only way it can be retrieved is to push it completely through the body it has entered.
Boomerangs
Made out of wood the boomerang is one instrument that the Aborigines use for different purposes. They can be used for fighting, playing musical instruments and hunting. This versatile item is one piece of equipment that actually returns to the user when it is thrown.
Some of the boomerangs, however, are crafted in a way so that they do not return to the point of origin. You can find these indigenous Australian weapons crafted from areas the south of Sydney. They were originated by the Tharawal people, who were natives there. The weapon is designed in cross-sections and has the same airfoil shape as a wing.
