Kilipiynpiyn Workshops

This is a wallaby trap woven from lawyer cane. It is 110 cm long and the entrance has a diameter of 55 cm, tapering down to a diameter of 33 cm in the body of the trap. It was acquired by the Australian Museum from Atherton, south-west of Cairns in northern Queensland, in 1895.

Basket traps such as this one were woven in the shape of a cone with one end tied shut with twine. The entrance was made large enough to allow a wallaby to enter but the trap narrows to prevent escape. As the wallaby attempts to move through the trap it becomes more tightly held.

Although made by men, basket traps such as this were used by women and children working together in a hunt that required good communication and teamwork. They laid 10 to 12 traps side by side across known wallaby trails and disguised them with branches and bark. They then made noises and beat bushes to drive a wallaby into one of the traps. When the wallaby entered and became trapped it was killed with a club, spear or axe.

See more information at the weblink: https://australian.museum/learn/cultures/first-nations-collections/cultural-objects/indigenous-wallaby-trap-from-northern-queensland/

SOURCE: Australian Museum

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18sSW4CX1z/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Whale engravings are a significant form of Aboriginal rock art found mainly in coastal regions of Australia, especially in areas where seasonal whale migrations could be observed from shore. These carvings typically show whales in elongated, streamlined shapes, sometimes with simple indications of fins, tails, or blowholes, depending on the local engraving style.

They are closely tied to the natural rhythm of the sea, particularly the annual migration of humpback and other whale species along the Australian coastline. For coastal Aboriginal communities, whales were not only an important food resource when stranded on beaches, but also powerful spiritual beings connected to ancestral stories, ocean law, and environmental knowledge.

In many traditions, whale engravings are understood as more than representations of animals—they can symbolize **creation stories, clan identity, and the relationship between people and the sea**. Whale strandings, in particular, were significant communal events that brought groups together for processing food and conducting ceremonies, and these moments were often remembered and encoded in rock art.

Overall, whale engravings reflect a deep ecological understanding of marine life and highlight the long-standing cultural connection between Aboriginal peoples and Australia’s coastal environments.

https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/watch/1622805571917

www.sbs.com.au