Australian Indigenous Astronomy: 65,000 Years of Science

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people developed a number of practical ways to observe the Sun, Moon, stars, and planets to inform navigation, calendars, predict weather, and inform Law and social structure. This knowledge contains a significant scientific component, which is encoded in oral traditions and material culture.

This talk explores the many ways in which Indigenous Australians encode scientific information in their traditions and some of the ways in which this knowledge is passed to successive generations.

Full lecture and interview featuring Dr Duane Hamacher from the Monash Indigenous Studies Centre, recorded at the Royal Society of Victoria in February 2018 with the support of the Inspiring Victoria program.