Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia

AUSTRALIA | Thursday, 4 July 2013 | Views [1857] | View Smaller Image

Aboriginal elder Garry Djorlom learnt how to hunt and gather food provided by the land from his father, Dudley Djorlom and his uncles. Walking through the scrub with Garry he would point out and name different trees in his traditional language (Kunwinjku). Occasionally he would stop to pick some fruit “I’m going to take these back to my grand kids” he would say, with an earnest smile.

Tags: bush tucker, australia, berries, gathering, aboriginal, tucker, fruit, trees

Once surrounded by ancient seas, the iconic Arnhem Land escarpment or “stone country” is a great example of the relationship between Aboriginal people and the land. During the wet season this sandstone wall is transformed into a plentiful oasis, brimming with fish and birds to hunt. In the dry season, it’s shady caves and residual pools provide protection from the hot Australian sun.

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This is a traditional Aboriginal cave painting at Injalak Hill, 5kms west of Gunbalanya in Arnhem Land, NT. Painted with white and red ochre this painting is believed to be over 10,000 years old. Hand stencils are very common in Aboriginal rock painting, this particular one is considered very rare due to the detail added into what would normally be negative space.

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Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia

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