Food gathering

Aboriginal people have been using the stars for practical information about the natural world for thousands of years. In particular, they have used the stars to know when the seasons are changing so they know what food sources are available.

There are many Aboriginal stories that use the heliacal rising or setting of stars or constellations to tell when it's time to look for a new food source. The heliacal rising of a star or constellation occurs when it first becomes visible above the eastern horizon after a period of time when it has not been seen. It happens for a very brief moment just before sunrise. A heliacal rising can also include the rising of the moon, a planet or other celestial body.

Check out:

• Aboriginal calendars.

Aboriginal calendars provide valuable information about the best time to collect emu eggs.

The Boorong people in Victoria use the Mallee fowl (Lyra) constellation to know when to collect emu eggs. When this constellation sets in October, they know that it's time to collect emu eggs.

The Guringai people from northern Sydney use a different constellation to know when to collect emu eggs. They have a special rock carving of an emu which is in the shape of the Emu in the sky constellation. When the carving and constellation align, it is their signal to gather emu eggs.

Check out:

• Seasonal foods and Aboriginal astronomy
• The emu in the sky
• Aboriginal astronomers see emu in sky (ABC Science)
• Through Our Eyes - Dhinawan 'Emu' in the sky (YouTube 2:22)
• Stellarium an online planetarium. Challenge – Set the date to the beginning of March and find the Emu in the sky.

Aboriginal people have also made connections between how constellations move across the sky and when wood ant larvae is available as a food source.

The Wergaia language group in Victoria have closely observed the star Marpeankurric (Arcturus). They can use their observations of this star to know when it is the right time to dig for larvae of the wood ant.

Check out:

• The stars – Marpeankurric.

Torres Strait Islander people have successfully used their knowledge of the sky to help with navigation and to identify the best time to plant crops.

The Tagi constellation shows Tagai standing on his canoe. His left hand is made up of the Southern Cross constellation and is holding a spear. His right hand, which is holding a fruit called Eugenia, is made up of a group of stars that are part of the Corvus constellation.

Check out:

• A shark in the stars: astronomy and culture in the Torres Strait.

Being able to understand and interpret the night sky has enabled Aboriginal people to gather and trade food with other people around Australia and also overseas.

For the Yolngu people, the rising of the Scorpius constellation indicated the arrival of Macassan fishermen from Indonesia. As the traditional owners of lands in the northeast of the Arnhem shelf in the Northern Territory, the closeness of the Yolngu people to the northern coastline meant that they were able to trade locally found trepang (sea cucumber) with Indonesian fishermen.

Check out:

• Stellarium. Challenge – Locate the Scorpius constellation.

Aboriginal calendars are often considered to be more complex than European calendars. Those in the north of Australia are often based on six seasons. Some Aboriginal groups mark their calendars in terms of the stars which appear during each season.

One example is the Brambuk calendar. This calendar used several night sky observations – Late summer was indicated by bright stars, winter by the return of the Aquila (Bunjil) constellation and spring by an emu in the Milky Way.

Check out:

• Aboriginal calendars
• Brambuk Calendar
• About the Indigenous seasons calendars
• Indigenous Seasons (Behind the News 3:07)
• Wurdi Youang (YouTube 3:38).