Aboriginal dance

Goomblar Wylo is an Australian Aboriginal, whom performs traditional dances, plays the didgeridoo, clap sticks, story telling and much, much more. Goomblar has travelled throughout the world performing in schools, universities, conferences, hotels and resorts.

Traditional Indigenous Australian dance was closely associated with song and was understood and experienced as making present the reality of the Dreamtime. In some instances, they would imitate the actions of a particular animal in the process of telling a story. For the people in their own country it defined to roles, responsibilities and the place itself. These ritual performances gave them an understanding of themselves in the interplay of social, geographical and environmental forces. The performances were associated with specific places and dance grounds were often sacred places. Body decoration and specific gestures related to kin and other relationships (such as to Dreamtime beings with which individuals and groups). For a number of Indigenous Australian groups their dances were secret and or sacred, gender could also be an important factor in some ceremonies with men and women having separate ceremonial traditions.

Australia's Aboriginal people have no written language. The legends and the stories of their past have been kept alive in song and dance.

The term Corroboree is commonly used in general Australian culture to refer to Australian Aboriginal dances, however this term has its origins among the people of the Sydney region. In a number of places Australian Aboriginal people will perform "corroborees" for tourists.

In the latter part of the 20th century the influence of Indigenous Australian dance traditions has been seen with the development of concert dance, particularly in contemporary dance with the National Aboriginal Islander Skills Development Association providing training to Indigenous Australians in dance and the Bangarra Dance Theatre.

The Djilpin Dancers are seen here performing at the Darwin Festival, a must-see event if you're ever in the Northern Territory in the dry season!

Aboriginal Massacres

Nailed to trees proclamation boards were designed to show that colonists and aboriginals were equal before the law, and incorrectly depicted a policy of friendship and equal justice which simply did not exist.

It has been estimated that at the time of first European contact, the absolute minimum pre-1788 population was 315,000, while recent archaeological finds suggest that a population of 750,000 could have been sustained, with some academics estimating a population of a million people was possible.

In the 19th century, smallpox was the principal cause of Aboriginal deaths. Smallpox is estimated to have killed up to 90% of the local Darug people in 1789.

The first massacre of Tasmanian Aboriginal people occurred at Risden Cove in 1804, when Lieutenant John Bowen and his troops fired on a group which included women and children. By 1806 clashes between Aboriginal people and settlers were common. The Tasmanians speared stock and shepards; in retaliation Europeans gave them poison flour, abducted their children to use as forced labour, and raped and tortured the women.


Mass killings of Tasmanian Aborigines were reported as having occurred as part of the Black War.
In combination with impacts of introduced infectious diseases, to which the Tasmanian Aborigines had no immunity, the conflict had such impact on the Tasmanian Aboriginal population that they were reported to have been exterminated..

In February 1830, the government offered a bounty of £5 per adult and £2 per child, for Aborigines captured alive.
By 1900 the recorded Indigenous population of Australia had declined to approximately 93,000.





Goulbolba Hill Massacre, Central Queensland a large massacre involving men, women and children. This was the result of settlers pushing Aboriginal people out of their hunting grounds and the Aboriginals being forced to hunt livestock for food. A party of Native Police, under Frederick Wheeler, who had a reputation for violent repressions, was sent to "disperse" this group of Aboriginals, who were 'resisting the invasion'. He had also mustered up a force of 100 local whites. Alerted of Wheeler's presence by a native stockman, the district's aborigines holed up in caves on Goulbolba hill. According to eyewitness testimony taken down from a local white in 1899, that day some 300 Aboriginals, including all the women and children, were shot dead or killed by being herded into the nearby lake for drowning.

In 1833 or 1834 tension turned into a full fledged conflict in a dispute over a beached whale. The Convincing Ground is located in Portland Bay southwest of Melbourne, near the coastal town of Portland in the Shire of Glenelg and is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register.

Reports say up to 200 Aborigines were killed, including women and children

George Augustus Robinson visited the site of the massacre in 1841 and talked with local squatters and made the following official report:

Among the remarkable places on this coast, is the 'Convincing Ground', originating in a severe conflict which took place in a few years previous between the Aborigines and the Whalers on which occasion a large number of the former were slain. The circumstances are that a whale had come on shore and the Natives who fed on the carcass claimed it was their own. The whalers said they would 'convince them' and had recourse to firearms.

The reason for this uncertainty over casualties and the actual date of the massacre appears to stem from the fact that the incident was only reported and documented several years after its occurrence.





Gippsland squatter Henry Meyrick wrote in a letter home to his relatives in England in 1846

The blacks are very quiet here now, poor wretches. No wild beast of the forest was ever hunted down with such unsparing perseverance as they are. Men, women and children are shot whenever they can be met with ...

I have protested against it at every station I have been in Gippsland, in the strongest language, but these things are kept very secret as the penalty would certainly be hanging.


 For myself, if I caught a black actually killing my sheep, I would shoot him with as little remorse as I would a wild dog, but no consideration on earth would induce me to ride into a camp and fire on them indiscriminately, as is the custom whenever the smoke is seen. They [the Aborigines] will very shortly be extinct. It is impossible to say how many have been shot, but I am convinced that not less than 450 have been murdered altogether..."

Aboriginal culture and Dreamtime

Aboriginal Australians have not just one culture, but about 400 different cultures across Australia, each with its own language, laws, traditions, and stories. Some of the languages are as different from each other as English is from Chinese, whilst others can be closely related, like Spanish and Portugese.

Some Aboriginal cultures are rich in stories and ceremonies tied to the night sky, while in others the sky doesn't seem to play such an important role at all.

In some Aboriginal cultures the Moon is male and the Sun is female, and there are many different versions of stories, in different languages, in which the Moon-man falls ill (the waning Moon), lies dead for three nights (New Moon), and then resurrects on the third day (the waxing Moon).

NATURE

Aboriginals see themselves as part of nature. We see all things natural as part of us. All the things on Earth we see as part human. This is told through the ideas of dreaming. By dreaming we mean the belief that long ago, these creatures started human society. These creatures, these great creatures are just as much alive today as they were in the beginning. They are everlasting and will never die. They are always part of the land and nature as we are. Our connection to all things natural is spiritual.' Silas Roberts, first Chairman of the Northern Lands Council.

MUSIC

Aborigines have developed unique instruments and folk styles. The didgeridoo is commonly considered the national instrument of Australian Aborigines, and it is claimed to be the world's oldest wind instrument.

Clapping sticks are probably the more ubiquitous musical instrument, especially because they help maintain the rhythm for the song. More recently, Aboriginal musicians have branched into rock and roll, hip hop and reggae.

Artist Minnie Pwerle

ART
Australia has a long tradition of Aboriginal art which is thousands of years old. Modern Aboriginal artists continue the tradition using modern materials in their artworks. Aboriginal art is the most internationally recognizable form of Australian art.

SPORT

The Djabwurrung and Jardwadjali people of western Victoria once participated in the traditional game of Marn Grook, a type of football played with possum hide. The game inspired Tom Wills, inventor of the code of Australian rules football, which is now a popular Australian winter sport.

Similarities between Marn Grook and Australian football include the unique skill of jumping to catch the ball or high "marking", which results in a free kick. The word "mark" may have originated in "mumarki", which is "an Aboriginal word meaning catch" in a dialect of a Marn Grook playing tribe.

Aussie Rules has seen many indigenous players at elite football, and have produced some of the most exciting and skillful to play the modern game. Approximately one in ten AFL players are of indigenous origin.

In the National Rugby League 11% of the players were of Indigenous heritage.  Australia's national Rugby League team saw a record number of five Aboriginal players (38%) in their ranks of 13.

Aboriginal people themselves account for only about 2.3% of Australia's population, yet they account for more than five times that percentage of elite footballers.

The Dreamtime (or Dreaming) is a term used to describe the period before living memory when Spirits emerged from beneath the earth and from the sky to create the land forms and all living things. The dreamtime stories set down the laws for social and moral order and establish the cultural patterns and customs.

The Dreaming, as well as answering questions about origins, provides a harmonious framework for human experience in the universe and the place of all living things within it. It describes the harmony between humans and all other natural things.

For instance, an indigenous Australian might say that he or she has Kangaroo Dreaming, or Shark Dreaming, or Honey Ant Dreaming, or any combination of Dreamings pertinent to their "country".

Australia Citizenship Test

Australia Citizenship Test
 
The Australian citizenship test is a test applicants for Australian citizenship who also meet the basic requirements for citizenship are required to take. It has been introduced in 2007 to assess the applicants' adequate knowledge of Australia, the responsibilities and privileges of citizenship and basic knowledge of the English language.

You can become a Australian citizen by answering all of the latest 2011 test questions below

80% correct is a pass 

 

How many slabs can you fit in the back of a Holden Ute while also

allowing room for your cattle dog?

When packing an Esky, do you put the ice or the beer in first?

Is the traditional Aussie Christmas dinner:

a) At least two roasted meats with roast vegetables, followed by a

pudding you could use as a cannonball. And a sweaty ham. sitting in 40C heat.

b) A seafood buffet followed by a barbie, with rather a lot of booze.

And sweaty ham. In 40C heat.

c) Both of the above, one at lunchtime and one at dinnertime. Weather

continues fine.

How many beers in a slab?

Does "yeah-nah" mean "Yes and no" or "Maybe" or "Yes I understand but

no I don't agree"?

The phrases "strewth" and "flamin' dingo" can be attributed to which TV

character?

a) Toadie from Neighbours

b) Alf from Home & Away

c) Agro from Agro's Cartoon Connection

d) Sgt. Tom Croydon from Blue Heelers

When cooking a barbecue do you turn the sausages:

a) Once or twice

b) As often as necessary to cook

c) After each stubby

d) Until charcoal?

Name three of the Daddo brothers.

Who was the original lead singer of AC/DC?

Which option describes your ideal summer afternoon:

a) Drinking beer a mate's place

b) Drinking beer at the beach

c) Drinking beer watching the cricket/footy

d) Drinking beer at a mate's place while watching the cricket before

going to the beach?

Would you eat pineapple on pizza?

Would you eat egg on a pizza?

How many cans of beer did David Boon consume on a plane trip from

Australia to England?

How many stubbies is it from Brissy to the Gold Coast in a Torana

travelling at 120km/h?

Who are Scott and Charlene?

 

How do you apply your tomato sauce to a pie?

a) Squirt and spread with finger

b) Sauce injection straight into the middle?

If the police raided your home would you:

a) Allow them to rummage through your personal items

b) Phone up the nearest talkback radio shock jock and complain

c) Put a written complaint in to John Howard and hope that he answers

it personally?

Which Australian Prime Minister held the world record for drinking a

yardie full of beer the fastest?

Have you ever had/do you have a mullet?

Thongs are:

a) Skimpy underwear

b) Casual footwear

c) They're called jandals, bro?

On which Ashes tour did Warney's hair look the best?

a) 1993

b)1997

c) 2001 or

d 2005?

What is someone is more likely to die of.

1) Red Back Spider

2) Great White Shark

3) Victorian Police Officer

4) King Brown Snake

5) Your missus after a big night

6) Dropbear?

How many times must a steak be turned on a conventional four-burner

barbie?

Can you sing along to Cold Chisel's Khe Sahn?

Explain both the "follow-on" and "LBW" rules in cricket and discuss the

pros and cons for the third umpire decisions in the latter....

Name at least 5 items that must be taken to a BBQ.

Who is current Australian test cricket captain:

a) Ricky Ponting

b) Don Bradman

c) John Howard

d) Makybe Diva?

Is it best to take a sick day on:

a) When the cricket's on?

b) When the cricket's on?

c) When the cricket's on?

What animal is on the Bundaberg Rum bottle?

What is the difference between a pot and a middy of beer?

What are Budgie smugglers?

Did you cry when Molly died on a Country Practice? 

A "Hoppoate" is:

a) A breed of kangaroo

b) A kind of Australian "wedgie"

c) A disgraced Rugby League player? 

What does having a 'chunder' mean? 

When you were young did you prefer the Hills Hoist over any swing set?

What do the following terms mean:

a) Mate?

b) Maate?

c) Maaaaaaate?

Best Aussie name is what?

a) Cheryl

b) Charlene

c) Bazza

d) Thommo

e) Shazza

What does the terminology 'True Blue' mean?

Lionel Rose Australian Boxing Legend

Lionel Rose the eldest of nine children and Australian Boxing Legend, died on 8 May 2011 aged 62 after an illness which lasted for several months.
Few Australian sportsmen captured the attention of the nation quite like Lionel Rose,  Lionel was a true legend of boxing, and a icon amongst the aboriginal community, and a hero to all Australians.

Lionel Rose grew up in hardship, learning to box from his father, Roy, a useful fighter on the tent-show circuit. According to the boxing historian Grantlee Kieza, Lionel Rose "sparred with rags on his hands in a ring made from fencing wire stretched between trees".

He came under the tutelage of Frank Oates, a Warragul trainer (whose daughter Jenny he later married). He won the Australian amateur flyweight title at age 15.


Lionel Rose began his professional boxing career, outpointing Mario Magriss over eight rounds. This fight was in Warragul, but the majority of Rose's fights were to be held in Melbourne. Along the way he was helped by Jack and Shirley Rennie, in whose Melbourne home he stayed, training every day in their backyard gym.

Lionel Rose challenged Fighting Harada for the world's bantamweight title (picture above) on 26 February 1968, in Tokyo. Rose made history by becoming the first Aboriginal to be a world champion boxer when he defeated Harada in a 15-round decision.. This win made Rose an instant national hero in Australia, and an icon among Aboriginals. A public reception at Melbourne Town Hall was witnessed by a crowd of more than 250,000. ( I dont think Anthony Mundine would get that kind of support, maybe 20 people at most)

On 2 July of that year, he returned to Tokyo to retain his title with a 15 round decision win over Takao Sakurai. 

On 6 December, he met Chucho Castillo at the Inglewood Forum in Inglewood, California. Rose beat Castillo by decision,( picture below) but the points verdict in favour of him infuriated many in the pro-Castillo crowd, and a riot began: 14 fans and fight referee Dick Young were hospitalised for injuries received.

Even Elvis Presley wanted to meet him, when Rose defended his title in California later that year, requesting to meet him.

"I was in awe of him, but he said he was in awe of me," Rose recounted of the meeting in an interview.

Lionel Rose compiled a record of 42 wins and 11 losses as a professional boxer, with 12 wins by knockout.


Lionel Rose was Australian of the Year in 1968, the first Aboriginal to be awarded the honour. The same year he was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE).

In retirement, Lionel Rose became a successful businessman. He was able to manage his money and make good financial decisions, and he enjoyed the monetary benefits his career brought him. Rose was showcased in 2002 in the The Ring section 'Where are they now?'.


During his off time from boxing in the 1970s, Rose embarked on a successful singing career in Australia having hits with "I Thank You" ( Listen Here ) and "Please Remember Me" in 1970. The song "I Thank You" was a nationwide hit.

Rose remains one of only four Australian-born fighters to win a world title overseas.
Jeff Harding and Jimmy Carruthers also achieved the feat, while the latest came on the same day as Rose's death, with Daniel Geale defeating German champion Sebastian Sylvester for the IBF middleweight title.

A person like Lionel Rose, who becomes a hero and a legend in his sport is commonly the simplest and obscurest of men.

Wallaby Recipes

Eat more wallaby its good for you!

Wallabies are widely distributed across Australia, particularly in more remote, heavily timbered, or rugged areas, less so on the great semi-arid plains that are better suited to the larger, leaner, and more fleet-footed kangaroos.

Wallaby meat has a rich burgundy colour, is very tender, with subtle flavour lending itself to diverse styles of preparation. It is very low in cholesterol and very low in fat, perfect for the health conscious.

Portioned and ready to cook

Wallaby has a mild game flavour and can be used as an alternative to veal or chicken. The tenderness and flavour of wallaby meat is best enhanced when lightly cooked.

Provided the following simple steps are followed, cuts of Wallaby meat can be prepared in a similar fashion as all other red meats:

Brush the meat with oil (e.g. olive , peanut or seasame) prior to cooking either by pan frying, barbecue or roasting.

Place in a hot pan and quickly turn to ensure both sides are seared (browned) , seal and turn only once to retain moisture.

Roasting is an ideal cooking method for Wallaby meat. For the best results cook at controlled temperatures. It is not recommended to overcook kangaroo and Wallaby meat as the absence of fat makes the meat dry out.

Source: Yarra valley Game Meats,www.LifeStyleFOOD.com.au





Mark Olive’s Wallaby Stack

Recipe by World Famous Chef Mark Olive from The Outback Café

Mark Olive (aka the “Black Olive”) has been a chef for over twenty years - he became interested in cooking as a child, watching his mother and aunts.

He was born in Woollongong in New South Wales, but his people are the Bundjalung nation from the state's northern rivers region.

Mark was chef at Melbourne's indigenous restaurant, the Flaming Bull, and ran his own restaurant in Sydney for a time where he specialised in creating recipes using outback ingredients.

Today he cooks regularly for gatherings of hundreds of people at big corporate and public functions in Australia, bringing his signature blend of contemporary outback tastes to every occasion.




500 g Wallaby butterfly cut steaks

1 Sweet potato thinly sliced lengthways

1 Capsicum cut into 4 equal pieces

Native Mountain Pepper

3 Dessert Spoons Seeded Mustard

1 Dessert Spoon Honey

¼ cup crushed Macadamia

1.Pre-heat oven to 200°C.

2.Prepare the steaks in a butterfly cut, and coat with native mountain pepper, set aside.

3.Coat the zucchini, sweet potato, and capsicum with olive oil and cook on a hot griddle plate until tender (do not over cook).

4.During cooking sprinkle with native mountain pepper. Remove from griddle and set aside.

5.Sear both sides of the wallaby steak quickly on a very hot griddle (should be medium rare).

6.Remove from griddle and set aside to rest.

7.On a baking tray, layer the sweet potato, zucchini, capsicum and wallaby, repeat.

8.Top with crushed macadamia nuts and place in oven until nuts are golden brown.
9.To make the sauce, mix the seeded mustard and honey in a small bowl.

10.To serve, place the stack on a plate and drizzle with the honey mustard sauced. Sprinkle native mountain pepper around the plate and add some whole roasted macadamia nuts for presentation.