Walkabout

Aboriginal children were sent on journeys within the territory of their clan to familiarise themselves from an early age with the land and how to survive in it.

There were more than 100 Aboriginal tribes in pre colonial Australia, with distinct languages and dialects.

Each tribe was made up of multiple clans whose job was to be custodians of the land in their clan region.

The Aborigines’ intimate connection with the land which was their ancestral homeland for tens of thousands of years meant that they formed a deep understanding of its habitat, plants and animals , which provided them with resources and food critical to their survival.

Aborigines we’re not nomadic – rather they moved within their tribal lands from place to place following the seasons which determined the availability of food and materials. They would stay in grass shelters which they would erect and cave networks to which they would return to year after year.

The borders of each tribes’ land was determined by natural barriers such as mountains and rivers. Walkabout allowed the young to form an intimate connection with the land and other clans within the tribe to equip them with the skills to survive.

Aboriginal society has strong traditions , beliefs and laws relating to the custodianship of land and their relationship with the wider world and universe beyond.Walkabout is one of those traditions governing conduct relating to reach members responsibilities to clan and tribe.

Destination: Australia