Explore cultural objects, art and technology

Discover some of the cultural material and objects in our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island collection.

Updated

12/10/20

Kalti Paarti: Carved emu eggs

Emu egg carving first became popular in the mid to late nineteenth century.

Grindstones

Fragments of grinding stones dating back 30,000 years to late in the Pleistocene Epoch have been found at Cuddie Springs in western NSW.

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Ghost net art

Fishing nets post a threat to marine life and birds. Learn how First Nation communities and artists are using ghost net sculptures as a way to tell traditional stories.

Pormpuraaw Art & Culture Centre
Darnley Island Arts Centre

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Dance boards by Emma Nungarrayi, 1970s and 1980s

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Crocodile Mask from the Torres Strait- E017339

In the Torres Strait Islands turtle shell masks were worn for rituals and ceremonies. Masks represented ancestors and associated totems, frequently the crocodile.

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The Hedley and McCulloch Collection: Torres Strait 1907

Between 29 August and 4 October 1907 Charles Hedley and Alan R. McCulloch collected 167 objects, mostly from Mer (Murray Island), Torres Strait.

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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags

The Aboriginal Flag and the Torres Strait Islander Flag were designed to represent these groups of Indigenous Australians.

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Survival and revival of the string figures of Yirrkala

String figures, or Matjka-wuma, are patterns or designs made on the hands with a loop of string.

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Shellfish hooks

Sequence of shellfish hooks manufacture for fishing.

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Wallaby trap from northern Queensland

Basket traps such as this one were woven in the shape of a cone with one end tied shut with twine.

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Wallaby-skin water carrier

This is a water carrier made from the skin of a wallaby, and was collected in the Lachlan-Darling area of western New South Wales prior to 1885.

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Bark canoe from New South Wales

Aboriginal bark canoe from the north coast of NSW

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Dilly bag from south-western Queensland, c1905

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Shell forehead band from northern Queensland

This shell forehead band was made from 59 rectangular pieces of nautilus shell, each with a centrally drilled hole.

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Glossary of Indigenous Australia terms

Collection highlights

Boomerangs

Discover the diversity of boomerangs in the Museum's collection, and learn about these distinctive cultural objects.

Boomerang forms
Why a boomerang flies

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Aboriginal toys

Toys were designed to amuse and educate children, and also to prepare them for adulthood. The toys in our collection were acquired between 1885 and 2018, and are made from various materials.

Dolls
Rattles
Spinning tops

Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander collection timeline

A timeline of Australian Museum exhibitions, events, cultural object and policies connected to Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islanders.

Aboriginal people of coastal Sydney

Research revealing the rich and complex culture of Aboriginal people in the Port Jackson region.

Language groups
Fishing culture

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Aboriginal Scarification

In Australia, scarring was practised widely, but is now restricted almost entirely to parts of Arnhem Land. Scarring is like a language inscribed on the body, where each deliberately placed scar tells a story of pain, endurance, identity, status, beauty, courage, sorrow or grief.

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Dave Pross examines grinding grooves at Quad Pad

Australian Archaeology

The Australian Museum holds a large number of cultural material and objects obtained from archaeological sites in New South Wales, as well as items from various regions throughout Australia.

Archaeological Collection Deposition
Policy
Protocols