Food, Traditional Aboriginal Knowledge and the Expansion of the Settler Economy

Aboriginal people have lived on the Australian continent for tens of thousands of years during which time they developed deep and sophisticated ecological knowledge. Some of this knowledge, particularly as it applies to food procurement was passed onto settler Austalians who were often uncertain how to obtain food or grow crops in the harsh Australian environment. This project examines the ways that Aboriginal knowledge was transferred to the newcomers and how it was used over 175 years (1788-1963). Today as we face significant environmental challenges this project asks what lessons can we learn from Australia's deep traditional Aboriginal food knowledge.