Ab origin
Some 60,000 years ago, Australia's first inhabitants set foot on the then uninhabited continent. Originating from Asia but with African roots, these explorers, the aborigines, spread all over the country and diversified into hundreds of tribes, each with their own dialect. The hunter gatherers developed deep-rooted spiritual and artistic traditions. Art forms such as rock paintings, dance, music and oral traditions play an important role in their transfer of knowledge and stories. Most of them are dedicated to the aboriginal religion, also known as "Dream Time" or Tjukurpa.
Dreamtime
Dream time is 'the present, past and future'. It is all-encompassing and means 'seeing and understanding the law'. It represents the period of the beginning of all its origins, of people, animals, land, tools and dreams created by Ancestral Spirits,who live in a place where time and space do not exist. Once the sacred ancestors had created the world, they turned themselves into trees, stars, water places and rocks. These are the places sacred to Aboriginal people where their ancestors ins were giving them life force.
Rock art
There are major differences between the regions in art forms and styles, which underlies the variety of tribes and the presence of raw materials. The ancient, traditional and sometimes prehistoric art can be found especially in the various National Parks. The most famous rock art sites are the paintings inKakadu National Park, The Kimberley and Quinkan.Where the world can't find you...
