The first inhabitants of this vast continent were the aborigines who come to this country, about 40,000 to 50,000 years, scientists thought they might have crossed the land bridge from Asia. These people were mainly hunter-gatherers with a complex oral tradition and spiritual beliefs. Aborigines were able to use and maintain the continent’s resources in accordance with the decision of the hunting and gathering at certain times to allow sufficient time for the resources and people to flourish. It is believed that prior to European settlement, as many as a half from one million to one million Aboriginal people lived peacefully. Today 350,000 Aborigines living on the continent.

An important part of Aboriginal culture is the belief in the Dreamtime, or creation of holy time in the world. Dreamtime stories are described in the bark and rock paintings as well as the opera, which has been handed down from generation to generation, and has remained unchanged for at least 50,000 years. Dances are also an important part of Aboriginal culture and tradition of representing creation myths as well as the recent events of historical importance. Read the rest of this entry »