VCE Australian History (Year 12) · Foundations · 18m read

Custodianship — Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Societies

Australian history did not begin in 1788. For more than 60 000 years, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples managed Country through complex law, trade and land practices. Every later transformation must be understood against this foundation.

Learning objective: Explain the depth and complexity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander societies and their custodianship of Country before 1788.

By the end of this lesson you can:

• I can describe connection to Country and custodianship.
• I can explain economic, social and spiritual systems.
• I can use evidence from archaeology and oral history.

Country is an archive. European history is stored in libraries. For First Nations peoples, history, law and knowledge are stored in Country itself — in songlines, sites, ceremonies and stories passed down for over 60 000 years.

Custodianship — Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Societies

DEEP TIME:
• Archaeological evidence (for example at Madjedbebe, NT) indicates human occupation for at least 60 000 years.
• Hundreds of distinct language groups and nations.

CUSTODIANSHIP AND COUNTRY:
• Country is land, sea, sky, kin and law together.
• Responsibilities to care for Country are passed through kinship and ceremony.

ECONOMIES AND LAND MANAGEMENT:
• Fire-stick farming (cultural burning) shaped landscapes.
• Aquaculture such as the Budj Bim eel traps (World Heritage listed, 2019).
• Extensive trade networks for ochre, stone and shells.

LAW AND SOCIETY:
• Kinship systems governed marriage, obligations and land.
• Law and knowledge transmitted through story, song, dance and art.

TORRES STRAIT ISLANDERS:
• Distinct Melanesian-related cultures; gardening, fishing and seafaring trade.

EVIDENCE:
• Archaeology, oral histories, rock art, early colonial observations (read critically).

| Aspect | Description |
|---|---|
| Continuity | 60 000+ years of continuous culture |
| Diversity | 250+ language groups, 500+ clans |
| Land management | Fire-stick farming, aquaculture (Budj Bim) |
| Law and kinship | Complex systems of obligation |
| Trade | Extensive networks (ochre, stone, pituri) |
| Knowledge | Songlines, astronomy, seasonal calendars |

Key ideas at a glance

• Use present tense for living cultures: Continuity.
• Name nations: Specific.
• Challenge terra nullius: Evidence of sophisticated societies.
• Respect protocols: Cultural knowledge.

Worked example (Medium)

How does Budj Bim challenge the colonial idea of "terra nullius"?

1. Terra nullius. The colonial claim that the land belonged to no one, justifying occupation without treaty.
2. Evidence. The Gunditjmara built a complex system of channels and traps to farm eels, with stone housing nearby.
3. Significance. It shows permanent settlement, engineering and land ownership — the opposite of "empty" land.

Answer: It demonstrates sophisticated, permanent land management, undermining the terra nullius myth.

Worked example (Hard)

Explain how Budj Bim challenges colonial assumptions.

1. Evidence. Gunditjmara stone eel traps and stone houses.
2. Age. Parts over 6 000 years old.
3. Significance. Settled aquaculture undermines "nomadic hunter-gatherer only" myths.

Answer: It demonstrates sophisticated, permanent land management.

Common mistakes

• Describing pre-1788 societies as "simple" This repeats colonial assumptions. Fix: Use evidence of complexity: law, trade, aquaculture, fire management.
• Treating all Aboriginal peoples as one group There were hundreds of nations. Fix: Name specific peoples and places where possible.

Dark Emu debate

Bruce Pascoe's *Dark Emu* (2014) argued pre-colonial societies practised agriculture. Anthropologists Peter Sutton and Keryn Walshe (*Farmers or Hunter-gatherers?*, 2021) challenged parts of this.

The debate itself is a case study in historiography and evidence.

Practice questions

1. Budj Bim is significant because it shows:

   1. Early European farming
   2. Aboriginal aquaculture and permanent settlement
   3. Gold mining
   4. A convict settlement

   (1 marks)

2. Explain what is meant by custodianship of Country.

   (2 marks)

3. Budj Bim is on the Country of the:

   1. Wurundjeri
   2. Gunditjmara
   3. Yolŋu
   4. Noongar

   (1 marks)

4. Explain the concept of custodianship.

   (2 marks)

Summary

• Over 60 000 years of continuous culture.
• Country, kinship, law and sophisticated land management.
• Terra nullius ignored this reality.
• Ancient, diverse, sophisticated societies.