Australian Aboriginal Food History

Wild millet was the principle grain.

Australian aboriginal food history. Aboriginal australians comprise many distinct peoples who have developed across australia for over 50 000 years. The dingo a type of wild dog appeared in australia only 5 000 to 3 000 years ago which postdates the time that aboriginal people began hafting small stone implements into composite tools some 8 000 years ago. Prior to european colonisation in the 18th century aboriginal australians survived for thousands of years on a hunter gatherer diet. Similarly pascoe argues australians should be consuming more native fauna like kangaroo and wallaby that was also once an aboriginal food instead of hoofed animals such as sheep and cattle which were introduced by settlers.

Fish were hunted with spears and nets. Seafood which was caught with spears or hooks was a staple of the aboriginal diet. The origin of the first humans to populate the southern continent and. A wide range of plants and animals were eaten by australia s aborigines and insect foods included certain ants grubs moths and beetles while streams provided fish and eels in some regions.

The diet and cooking. They like collecting acacias lemon aspen seeds herbs fruits and nuts roots of eucalyptus fig trees grass trees apples quandong and lilly pilly. Whereas the dingo was introduced from southeast asia the small implements appear to be independent inventions from within australia. Aboriginal australians is a western term for the people who are from the australian mainland and many of its islands such as tasmania fraser island hinchinbrook island the tiwi islands and groote eylandt but excluding the torres strait islands.

For thousands of years aboriginal australians have been surviving on bush tucker and foods provided by the outback. Population increases the exploitation of new. Aboriginals were hunters and gatherers hunting wildlife to provide meat and gathering fruits seeds and insects for their daily meals. They were experts at finding food and water in the australian landscape.

This article covers the history of aboriginal australian and torres strait islander peoples two broadly defined groups which each include other sub groups defined by language and culture. In 1770 visiting australia s east coast aboard captain cook s endeavour the botanist joseph banks thought the coastal soil north of botany bay barren. Information about the history and traditions of australian food. He tasted what he called indian kale or spinach parsley fruits including figs and seeds and nuts from cabbage and other palms.

Birds were eaten including waterfowl scrub fowl the cassowary and the jabiru. This bush tucker diet often included emu kangaroo moths lizards and snakes as well as berries roots and honey. Within the past 1 500 3 000 years other important changes occurred at the general continental level. The food that the aboriginal people gather is from the australian bush.