Sept 1, Saturday & Sept 2, Sunday

Sept 1, Saturday  & Sept 2, Sunday

Resting and catching up on my travel notes.  I’ll use this section to add some side notes and free up space on the days that I went on excursions.

The aboriginal people have inhabited this area of Australia for approximately 50,000 years ago. They were hunter gatherers and moved around based on the six seasons that existed in the area, to take advantage of the game and the growth of various types of roots and fruits.   I’m listing the 6 seasons because I love the aboriginal names:
-       Banggerreng:  Knockem down storm  (April, when the tall grass is bent down by the strong winds) Plants are fruiting and animals are caring for their young
-       Yegge:  Cooler but still humid (May to June) Burning underbrush to encourage new growth. This occurs naturally but also has been carried out by the aboriginals as “patch burning” for tens of thousands of years.  “This earth, I never damage.  I look after.  Fire is nothing, just clean up. When you burn, new grass coming up. That means good animal soon, might be goanna, possum, wallaby.  Burn him off, new grass coming up, new life all over.”
-       Wurrgeng:  Cold weather, early dry season (June to Aug)  Magpies and geese are fat and heavy after weeks of abundant food crowd the shrinking billabongs.
-       Gurrung:  Hot dry weather (Aug to Oct) Hunting time for turtles.
-       Gunumeleng:  Pre monsoon storm  (Oct to Dec) Nitrogen rich rain falls, greening everything.  Water birds are plentiful; barramundi, a type of fish, move from waterholes downstream to the estuaries to breed.  (Opposite to our salmon.)
-       Gudjewg: Monsoons (Dec to Mar)  Spear grass grows to over 2 metres tall

Although the words tribe and clan are sometimes used by “European” speakers  (read white people),  we are told that aboriginals, when first asked to describe their groups, did not think either word really described their style of living in groups.  They selected the word “mob” instead, to describe the loose group of people who decide to live together as a community.  Not necessarily a family grouping, but more a group of “like minded” people.  (I just finished reading a book written by Judy Nunn, an Australian writer, “Beneath the Southern Cross” and the term “mob” was used.)  

I referred to water buffalo a few days ago.  ( Between 1825 and 1843, about 80 buffalo were brought to Melville Island and Cobourg Peninsula for meat. When these settlements were abandoned in the mid-1900s, the buffalo soon colonised the permanent and semi-permanent swamps, and freshwater springs of the top end of the Northern Territory.) Their numbers multiplied and by the early 1900’s, during the industrial revolution, hunting of water buffalos became big business since their tough hides could be used to make the huge leather belts required in the new engines.   

Dreamtime:  Peter told us that this was a “European” word and does not really give a good description of the Aboriginal practice.  It is a time of inner analysis, meditation and imagination.  Neither it is narcoticly induced.

Peter further explained that the perception of Aboriginal peoples was not accurate.  They do not look at each other in the eyes, they will look down and away since it is considered as “invading their space” to look at someone in the eyes.  If asked a question, an aboriginal person will traditionally analyse all the possible answers that could be given, as well as the impact each answer may have.  It might take them 5 minutes to provide an answer.   Alcohol and tobacco or other stimulants were unknown in their culture.  Their metabolisms are different and are greatly affected by alcohol.  I saw examples of this in the streets and parks of Darwin.  One woman was walking on the road in the dark, completely oblivious of oncoming traffic, walking like a zombie in her own little world.  It was quite scary and very dangerous for her.

I did a bit of research with regard to the “Stolen Generation”, something Ben referred to during our drive up to Litchfield National Park.   “The Aborigines Protection Act 1869, the Aborigines Protection Board was given quite broad powers to the Board to make laws for 'the care, custody and education of the children of Aborigines'. One of the regulations made under the Act allowed for 'the removal of any Aboriginal child neglected by its parents or left unprotected'. They were removed to a mission, an industrial or reform school, or a station.  Between 1910 and 1970 the Australian government took 100,000 Aboriginal children away from their homes. These children, known as the Stolen Generation, were often under five years of age. They were taken away from their families because the government did not believe in the future of the Aborigines. They thought it would be better to bring them to white families.  Many methods were used to separate Aboriginal babies and children from their families. Children were simply taken away by government officials and later told that they were orphans. Mothers often were given documents to sign. They could not read or write and they were told it was some kind of vaccination programme. Others were taken to hospitals and never seen by their families again. In most cases rich white families were given money to bring them up. Some went to orphanages or church missions. ”   SOUND FAMILIAR?   The Canadian and USA governments did the same thing in North America to its native peoples.

“Warning. This article may contain the names and images of Aboriginal and Islander people now deceased. It also contains links to sites that may use images of Aboriginal and Islander people now deceased.”

Crocodiles:  Largest living reptiles and one of the most ancient, virtually unchanged for nearly 200 million years.  There are two types in Australia.

Freshwater crocodile:   Crocodylus johnstoni, which is similar in appearance but may be distinguished by its more slender snout (length of snout is more than twice the width of the head) and generally lighter build.”   They live in upper rivers, creeks and ponds; smaller and less vicious than estuary crocs; usually shy but will become aggressive if disturbed.  Signs indicate: DO NOT DISTURB.

Estuarine crocodiles: long well-toothed snout, eyes and nostrils set atop the head, thick skin with embedded bony plates (osteoderms), long muscular tail, streamlined body and short limbs with clawed webbed feet. The Estuarine Crocodile has a broad snout that is less than twice as long (from tip to midpoint between the eyes) as the width of the head. Adults typically have a heavy build and range in colour from golden tan to grey to black, with irregular darker mottling. Juveniles are brightly patterned with dark spots/bands on the body and tail; these tend to fade with age. Belly is cream-coloured. Average total length for adults is 3-5m, with males typically growing much larger than females.  After eating its fill (a crocodile’s stomach is relatively small), the crocodile may store the remains in mangroves or underwater to feed on again at a later time.”    They live in both salt water and fresh water, creeks and billabongs;  between the 1940s and 60s they were hunted to near extinction for their skins; population back up anywhere from 60, 70 or 90,000 based on the speaker or source material I’ve found. There are “crocodile management zones” where they are safely captured and removed to other areas to provide safety to “tourist areas”.   After each wet season, crocodiles may have moved far inland and become isolated and even more dangerous. Hunting crocodiles is no longer allowed, not even for aboriginals who live in the bush.  They continue to hunt turtles, goanna (a type of iguana) and file snake (a huge non venomous water snake with rough skin like a metal file).     

I heard about 17 people who were recorded to have been killed by crocodiles, the majority of these were drunk at the time.  Peter (guide to Kakadu) referred to this as crocodiles preferring to eat marinated meat!

Billabongs:  After the rainy season when the land dries out in the floodplains, sections of fresh water remain which we would call ponds or shallow water lakes.  Water birds and crocodiles seek refuge in these during the dry season.