The First Nations People were not nomadic in the style of other people groups such as those in the European Continent. They moved on country according to the seasonal requirements and what was needed to be done to care for country.
Indigenous seasons
The changes in nature throughout the year, that we call seasons, have been observed by First Nations
people for thousands of years. Long before people came from England, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
Peoples had observed and named the seasons they experienced. Different parts of Australia had a different
numbers of seasons.
Since Australia is such a big land, there are many different landscapes; there are deserts, beaches,
mountains and others. Because of this there are many different climates. Some parts of Australia are
tropical, with hot, wet summers. Some parts of Australia are cold and dry, or cold and wet. All these
different landscapes and climates also mean there are different seasonal calendars around Australia.
The knowledge shown in seasonal calendars can show when it’s a good time to do different things. Making
sure that we do things at certain times looks after the Earth and makes sure that there’s plenty of food,
water and resources left for later. This is called sustainability.
Use of fire
Fire is very dangerous. Much of the Australian landscape needs fire sometimes. There are plants that need
fire in order to germinate and grow. The Australian bush can get lots of dry bark, leaves, sticks and grasses
on the ground. If this doesn’t get burnt sometimes it can build up and if there’s a wildfire, the fire can get
way too big very quickly and become out of control. The knowledge of the seasons helps Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander people to know when a good time is to burn small areas safely. The Atlas of Living
Australia’s Fire and seasons calendar Wattleridge Indigenous protected area shows this knowledge.
The night sky connects to what’s happening on Country
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples watch the sky to know when different seasons arrive and to
know when to do different things throughout the year.
[Three clips are inserted below, to support this understanding.]
Teachers: Refer to Australian's Together Curriculum Resources Uni-Year1 Science and HASS – Observing and living with the seasons.