Connect With Australia's Aboriginal Culture
In addition to kangaroos, koalas, and the wonders of the Great Barrier Reef, visitors to Australia may also enjoy connecting with the original inhabitants of the land "down under" - the Aboriginal people. For those who are so inclined, here are the top six places to interact with Aboriginal Australia.
1. The Daintree, Queensland
Upwards of 135 million years of age, the stunning Daintree Rain forest is the world's oldest rain forest. Experience this green canopy with the original custodians, the Wujal Wujal people. Discover bush tucker and fish for barramundi. See fresh-water crocodiles sunning themselves on the mangrove-lined river banks and unusual tropical birds and animals, most of which are not known anywhere else in the world.
TasmaniaIt has been established, through archaeological exploration, that Tasmania was first inhabited between 20000 and 30000 years ago, when the island was still a part of the mainland. It was first sighted by European explorers in 1642. At that time, it was named "Van Diemen's Land", in honor of the Governor-General of the Dutch-East India Company who funded the expedition. It was renamed Tasmania in 1856 for Abel Tasman, its "discoverer". Van Diemen's Land was visited by both French explorers (1722 and 1779) and English explorers (1773, 1777, 1788, 1792, 1789, and 1794). In 1798, two British expeditions sailed completely around the island, thus establishing that it was totally separated from mainland Australia.
Australian Aborigines The First SettlersThe literal translation of the word "Aborigine" is "the people who were here from the beginning". A second translation, not as literal, is "native". While there are no early written records of their history, archaeologists have found pictorials on rock all over Australia and the Aborigines themselves have handed down oral history for many generations. According to their oral history, and reliable archaeological dating, the Aborigines arrived in Australia through the north end of the continent when it was still part of the mainland below Southeast Asia.
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Northern TerritoryThe Northern Territory was part of New South Wales from 1825 to 1863. It was then divided from that colony and became a part of South Australia (1863 - 1911). In 1911, ten years after it was federated, control was separated from South Australia to the Commonwealth of Australia. For a short period of time between 1926 and 1931, the Territory was divided at the 20th parallel of the south latitude. The new territories were North Australia and Central Australia. However, the Act which had established this division was repealed in 1931, and the Territory reverted to the original name. As with all of the Territories and States of Australia, the first people to inhabit it were Aboriginals
Top Places To Go in AustraliaAustralia is unique. It is the only country that is also a continent. Australia is the sixth largest country and the smallest continent in the world. Australia is sometimes referred to as being "down under", because it lies completely within the southern hemisphere, but the official name is the Commonwealth of Australia. There are many different kinds of environment in Australia. Climates that range from tropical in the north and cool to the south. The interior is mostly desert or dry grassland with only a few settlements. Only Antarctica gets less rain or precipitation than Australia. When one travels to Australia there are many different places to see, one of them being Ayers Rock.
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