Burunh Program for Cultural & Indigenous Astronomy

✨ The Burunh Seminar – Friday, 12 June

Tomorrow we welcome Professor Richard de Grijs (Macquarie University), who will deliver The Burunh Seminar:

"Astronomy, Geography and Cosmic Meaning in Byzantium"

As the centre of the Mediterranean world shifted from Alexandria to Constantinople, Byzantine scholars inherited the scientific legacy of antiquity while reinterpreting the heavens through a Christian lens. This seminar explores the dynamic interplay between technical astronomy, geographical practice, and apocalyptic expectation in the Byzantine Empire.

We hope to see you form 2-4 pm in Room 213 in the Old Arts Building, or via Zoom.

Details here: https://www.burunh.org/seminars

👣 Mabo Day, ✨ Star Knowledge and ☄️ Asteroid Names

Today we celebrate Mabo Day, honouring the pioneering work of Eddie Koike Mabo, Rev. David Passi, Sam Passi, James Rice, and Celuia Mapo Salee (all from Mer in the eastern Torres Strait) and their successful legal battle that led to recognising Indigenous native title and overturning the doctrine of terra nullius.

Mer is an island of deep culture, rich meaning, and ancient knowledges. The local language, Meriam Mir, is Australia’s only Papuan language. Meriam people developed and maintain complex systems of astronomical knowledge centred around Tagai, a great warrior who is central to their Creation and identity. You can see exmaples of this in the amazing artworks of Segar Passi and Gail Mabo (Koiki Mabo's daughter).

For the last decade - under the close tutelage of Professor Martin Nakata - we have been working with Meriam Elders and the community to showcase their deep and rich star knowledge, which has been included in planetarium programs, best-selling books, commemorative coins, major documentaries, educational curricula, and art exhibitions across Australia and the world.

In 2020, we lobbied colleagues the The International Astronomical Union's Working Group on Small Bodies Nomenclature to honour the Meriam community by renaming the asteroid '1979 MB4' to '7546 Meriam'.

This is a 2 km-wide asteroid that is 2.3 times farther from the Sun than Earth and takes 3.5 years to complete one orbit around the sun.

The Meriam people live in the eastern Torres Strait, united by a common culture and speaking Australia’s only Papuan language: Meriam Mir. Meriam people developed and maintain complex systems of astronomical knowledge centred around Tagai, a great warrior who is central to Meriam Creation and identity.

In June 2015, Sydney Observatory named a star in their Southern Sky Catalogue 'Koiki' to honor the 1992 native title decision. The star is located in the Southern Cross.

The image below shows a sacred dance for the Maier - a bright shooting star that takes souls of the recently deceased to the afterworld. It appeared in the Werner Herzog/Clive Oppenheimer film "Fireball: Visitors from Darker Worlds". It also shows the orbital path of the asteroid.

Interested in learning about the role of astronomy in cultures and societies of the ancient past? Enroll in Archaeoastronomy (PHYC20017) for Semester 2, 2026 at the The University of Melbourne!

About this Breadth Subject

Ancient and Indigenous cultures of the world developed knowledge systems and constructed monuments that reflect ancient understandings of the Sun, Moon, and stars. The Sun and night sky played an important role in ritual, ceremony, power structures, architecture, and social development. Today, much of this knowledge is restricted to the material record in the form of artefacts, rock art, stone arrangements, and monuments, paying particular reference to the local landscape and skyscape. This subject will introduce students to archaeoastronomywith respect to ancient cultures, including case studies from from Australia, Mesoamerica, the Mediterranean, Mesopotamia, east Asia, and Africa.

The subject is not mathematically intensive, despite being offered through the School of Physics. It is open to all, and provides Arts students (expecially those majoring in Ancient World Studies/Archaeology) a chance to take a Science Breadth in their area of study!

This subject is offered through The Burunh Program for Cultural & Indigenous Astronomy and is part of the Cultural Astronomy Breadth track. It will also be included in the Cultural Astronomy Minor being offered from next year!

The subject is taught between the School of Physics (Weeks 1-6) and the School of Historical & Philosophical Studies (Weeks 7-12). It will consist of two lectures and one tutorial each week.

In Weeks 1-6, you will learn the history of archaeoastronomy, basic positional astronomy, theoretical approaches, methodologies, calendar systems, field techniques, and more. This is taught by A/Prof Duane Hamacher, President of the International Society for Archaeoastronomy and Astronomy in Culture and Director of The Burunh Program.

In Weeks 7-12, you will focus on case studies from around the world, with several guest lecturers. This section is taught by Dr Gerhard Wiesenfeldt, Deputy Director of The Burunh Program.

Subject Link:
https://handbook.unimelb.edu.au/2026/subjects/phyc20017

Breadth Track Link:
https://handbook.unimelb.edu.au/2026/components/btrack-136

Join us for a special stargazing event and connect with the cosmos through the beauty of night as you are guided on a journey through space and time, exploring the significance of Sky Country in First Nations knowledge systems.

Join Kamilaroi astrophysicist Krystal De Napoli and cultural astronomer A/Prof Duane Hamacher from The Burunh Program for Cultural & Indigenous Astronomy at the The University of Melbourne for an evening presentation, book signing, and telescope viewing under the night sky.

Thursday, 18 June 2026, 6.30-9.30pm
Waverley Valley Scout Hall, Valley Reserve, 1B Wills Ave
Mount Waverley, Vic (Melbourne)

Ticketed Event. $12 pp.

Krystal De Napoli is an astrophysicist, co-author of the award-winning book 'Astronomy: Sky Country', and Manager of the WEHI DeadlyScience Pathways Program.

Associate Professor Duane Hamacher is Director of The Burunh Program and a leading voice in cultural astronomy. He is also the author of the best-selling book 'The First Astronomers', co-authored with six Elders and Sky Country knowledge holders.

First Nations Astronomy and Stargazing Join Kamilaroi Astrophysicist Krystal De Napoli and Cultural Astronomer Associate Professor Duane Hamacher for a special stargazing event and connect with the cosmos through the beauty of night.

We are thrilled to announce that Māori scholar, scientist, and 2025 Atlantic Fellow, Te Kahuratai Moko-Painting, will be joining us to commence a PhD with The Burunh Program for Cultural & Indigenous Astronomy at The University of Melbourne!

Te Kahuratai will complete his thesis on lunar–stellar-environmental systems and calendars across Te Moananui-a-Kiwa (Pacific Ocean) - particularly in Rarotonga, Tahiti, and Hawaiʻi - in the School of Physics through the Indigenous Knowledge Institute, working with A/Prof Duane Hamacher and Professor Elizabeth McKinley.

Te Kahuratai has an extensive academic background, with a degree in Biomedical Science, a Diploma in Te Reo Maori, a Graduate Diploma in Applied Mathematics, a Master of Marine Conservation, and a Master of Social Change Leadership. He was a 2025 member of the Atlantic Fellows for Social Equity (AFSE).

We are thrilled to have Te Kahuratai onboard and look forward to the amazing contributions he will make to scholarship, to communities, and to education!

Huge thanks to Professor Joseph West, FIEAust (Director of the Indigenous Knowledge Institute), Professor Colette Boskovic, Professor Ann Roberts, and the IKI/Science team for facilitating, supporting and enabling this!

Cultural & Indigenous Astronomy talk with Duane Hamacher - Libraries After Dark

Tuesday, 16 June 2026 | 6-8 PM

Head to Yarraville Library after hours for an insightful talk by Duane Hamacher, Associate Professor of Astrophysics and Director of The Burunh Program for Cultural & Indigenous Astronomy in the School of Physics at the University of Melbourne... and a Yarraville resident!

Duane's work examines humanity's connection to the stars and our presence in space in terms of science, history, culture, and society, with a focus on Australian Indigenous Astronomy. He is author of the best-selling book 'The First Astronomers: how Indigenous Elders read the stars', written with six Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders.

Book here: https://www.maribyrnong.vic.gov.au/library/Events/Cultural-astronomy-with-Duane-Hamacher-Libraries-After-Dark

This past Friday the Burunh Seminar was delivered by Dr Kevin Orrman-Rossiter who spoke about representations of 'science' in Australian Indigenous astronomy scholarship.

This research is the topic of his Master of Arts thesis in the History & Philosophy of Science at the The University of Melbourne, under the supervision of Dr Gerhard Wiesenfeldt.

Watch his seminar here!

Reviewing the scientific representation of Indigenous Astronomy with Dr Kevin Orrman Rossiter First Peoples' Astronomy: Reviewing its scientific representation in the literatureDr Kevin Orrman-RossiterUniversity of MelbourneThe Burunh Seminar15 May 2026

In the last fortnight, group members have (a) identified new observations of variable stars by Indigenous communities buried in late 19th century journals (Elizabeth Brooker), (b) established the foundations of amazing public programs with local Aboriginal communities (Jamie Rooney), (c) located previously unidentified Indigenous stories about reaching Antarctica and aurorae making sound (Danton Prem Weil), (d) making huge strides in studying the effects of light pollution and designing protocols to safeguard dark skies (Dwi Yoshafetri Yuna, Mohamad Danial Othman, Jessica Heim, and A/Prof Wafa Zakri), be accepted for the 2026 ANAT + MAP mima Artist Residency + Commission (Peter Swanton), and (e) had their papers accepted for publication (Dwi Yoshafetri Yuna and Danton Prem Weil)!

Jessica Heim (USQ) and Bridget Kelly are nearing the completion of their excellent PhD theses, and Amanda Goldfarb is back on deck to continue her groundbreaking work! Our undergraduate researchers are taking on projects that are leading to publications-in-preparation (Phoebe Keen, Jack Murray, Samm Henderson) and MA researcher Dr Kevin Orrman-Rossiter will give The Burunh Seminar tomorrow on "Indigenous astronomy and its scientific representation."

Our Teaching Assistants have done an amazing job educating and supporting students in PHYC10010 (Indigenous Astronomy) and PHYC30025 (Astronomy and Society in the Space Age) this semester. Huge thanks to Danton Prem Weil and Harriet Hurley, and to Paul Carter for teaching the second half of PHYC30025.

I'm also thrilled to announce that we will have two First Nations researchers joining us in the second half of 2026 - an Aboriginal Lecturer and a Maori PhD candidate. I cannot say who they are just yet, but believe me when I tell you that this will be huge news! And I'm keeping my fingers crossed that one of the two Aboriginal scholars who applied for a Fellowship to work with us will be made an offer!

Finally, big news on the book front: Prof Marcia Langton and I submitted the manuscript for our new book last week, which will hit shelves in May of 2027, while Prof Ray Norris and Bruce Pascoe have been making rounds promoting their new book "Big Sky: When the Emu Left the Earth"!

The Burunh Program for Cultural & Indigenous Astronomy at the University of Melbourne is on the up and up!

The Burunh Program for Cultural & Indigenous Astronomy The Burunh Program focuses on research, teaching, outreach, and community engagement to examine humanity's connections to the stars through interdisciplinary research and teaching in Indigenous astronomy, archaeoastronomy, astrosociology, the history of astronomy, the philosophy of science, geomytho...

Explore the link between 🐀 Black Death, ♎ Astrology, and the ☄️ Apocalypse!

This past Friday, physics major Phoebe Keen gave The Burunh Seminar about her research on "Black Death and Cosmic Apocalypse in Early Modern Europe". She undertook this as a Laby Scholar in the School of Physics, working with Duane Hamacher and Gerhard Wiesenfeldt over the summer.

Check it out: https://youtu.be/achBTw_w-0M

Although Phoebe is a physics major, she has a serious interest in History. For her project, she analysed historical texts from early modern Europe to study apocalyptic visionaries linking the Black Plague to astrological omens derived from transient celestial phenomena, such as comets and planetary conjunctions.

Phoebe is working with Dr Wiesenfeldt to develop this research into a full paper, which will be appear in the upcoming 2027 volume "Cosmic Apocalypse: Ancient Fears and Contemporary Perspectives", edited by Duane Hamacher (University of Melbourne) and Richard Wilman (Durham University).

This volume will be published as part of the Historical & Cultural Astronomy Series of Springer Press. It is an outcome of Hamacher and Wilman's time as CAPAS Fellows at the Käte Hamburger Centre for Apocalyptic and Post-Apocalyptic Studies at Heidelberg University in Germany.

Duane Hamacher 1 like. "Black Death and Cosmic Apocalypse in Early Modern Europe, with Phoebe Keen"

This past Friday we launched our trans-disciplinary program in Cultural & Indigenous Astronomy at the The University of Melbourne under our new name: Burunh, meaning 'night; darkness' in the Boon Wurrung language. We celebrated our successes and announced our plans for an exciting future at University House.

We were honoured to be joined by Elders and Traditional Owners from across the Kulin Nations (including Uncle Adam Magennis, Aunty Kerri Douglass, and Aunty Gail Kunwarra Dawson), Indigenous University leadership (including Professor Marcia Langton and Professor Michael Shawn Fletcher), colleagues, and team members from across the university and wider community.

We are now planning graduate degrees, major research initiatives, and Indigenous community-driven programs in tourism, education, and film.

The Elders voiced their strong support and excitement. Huge thanks to everyone helping to make this a reality as we continue to build momentum.

www.burunh.org

Ad Astra,
Duane Hamacher (Director)
Gerhard Wiesenfeldt (Co-Director)

Special thanks to Prof Marcia Langton, Prof Michael Shawn Fletcher, Uncle Adam Magennis, Aunty Kerri Douglas, Aunty Gail Kunwarra Dawson, Sonya Paul, Prof Barry Judd, Jamie Rooney, Dr Martin Bush, Dr John Wayne Parsons, Dr Kirsten Banks, A/Prof Suzie Sheehy, Peter Lieverdink, Kirstine Wallis, A/Prof Lisa Godinho, Allyson O'Brien, Prof A/Prof Kristen Smith, Josh van de Ven, Paul Carter, A/Prof Nick Thieberger, Prof Rachel Nordlinger, Dr Michael Pickering, Nathan Dorey, Penny Fairbank, Harriet Hurley, Danton Prem Weil, Hudson Tippet, Lea Kylie Rose, Dwi Yoshafetri Yuna, Mohamad Danial Othman, Bridget Kelly, Dr Kevin Orrman-Rossiter, Phoebe Keen, Raine Friestad, Samm Henderson, Jack Murray, Mietta Habets, and anyone we missed!

We thank the Australian Association for Astronomy in Culture, Inc., who funded this event!