Night Skies of Aboriginal Australia by Dianne Johnson

It is possible to find the celestial evidence for all of the StartbridgeĪnd in having done so it is evident that some commentators get it Sky, far away from the intrusive city lights. Gellarlec, the Songman, larger than life, in the moonless, cloudless The cluster of stars west of and including Aldebaran form the outline of The spear thrower in the sting in the tail of Scorpius, or realises that Long-necked tortoise, in the constellation surrounding Pollux, or finds The Stanbridge informationįor instance comes alive when the observer actually sees Wanjel, the Observation what is on the written record. It is essential, in my view, to verify by personal Of a relationship between its position in the sky and what is happening Aboriginal families in south-western NSW today tell Giant emu Tchingal, known to the Boorong people of north-west VictoriaĪs the large dark patch just west of Scorpius (the body) the neckĮxtending in a thin line through the Pointers to the head which we speak Insights may be gained through personal observation and through directĬontact with Aboriginal people. Night Skies thus provides an excellent base from which further Johnson's listing and explanation culledįrom the widest range of sources in the literature enables us toĪpproach this important topic with dignity and with clarity. The challenge for those of us at theĮducation interface is to know how to depict and explain AboriginalĬonstellations without simplifying things to the extent of dreamtime equals bedtime stories. Straightforward principle makes simple an understanding of AboriginalĪstronomy for the cognoscenti but bewilderingly complex for the In his book Yorro Yorro David Mowaljarli says that everythingĮxists twice, once on the ground and once in the sky. In her 'noctuary' Johnson makes a significantĬontribution towards defining Aboriginal astronomy as a field in its own This is the broadest account of the Aboriginal night sky available APA style: Night Skies of Aboriginal Australia.Night Skies of Aboriginal Australia.' Retrieved from MLA style: 'Night Skies of Aboriginal Australia.' The Free Library.

Night Skies of Aboriginal Australia by Dianne Johnson