Indigenous Australian Tools

Indigenous Australians used many different

tools in everyday life.

Boomerang
Use: hunting, fighting, ceremonies

The boomerang is a throwing stick made from wood. They

were used for hunting animals (like kangaroos), fighting
and in ceremonies. Some boomerangs return when they
are thrown, others do not. Returning boomerangs tend to
be smaller and lighter. Not all Indigenous Australians used
boomerangs.

Woomera
Use: hunting, fighting

The woomera is a wooden spear-thrower. Hunters used

the woomera to make the spear move faster and travel
further. The woomera could also be fitted with an axe
head and be used for chopping wood and meat.

Canoe
Use: hunting, transport

Indigenous Australians made quick and easy canoes from

tree bark. They were usually made from a large slab of
bark with rope used to hold the shape of the canoe. These
canoes allowed people to travel longer distances and hunt
widely for fish and birds’ eggs.

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 Indigenous Australian Tools
Indigenous Australians used many different tools in
everyday life. These tools were also an important way
in which Indigenous Australians connected
to their country.

Boomerang
Use: hunting, fighting, ceremonies

The boomerang is a throwing stick made from

wood. Boomerangs were used for hunting animals
(like kangaroos), fighting and in ceremonies. Some
boomerangs return when they are thrown; others do
not. Returning boomerangs tend to be smaller and
lighter, but harder to use where there are lots of trees.
Not all Indigenous Australians used boomerangs.

Woomera
Use: hunting, fighting

The woomera is a wooden spear-thrower. Hunters used

the woomera to make the spear move faster and travel
further. The woomera could also be fitted with an axe
head and be used for chopping wood and meat.

Canoe
Use: hunting, transport

Indigenous Australians made quick and easy canoes

from tree bark. They were usually made from a large
slab of bark with rope used to hold the shape of the
canoe. These canoes allowed people to travel longer
distances and hunt widely for fish and birds’ eggs as
they were light enough to be carried by nomads.

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 Indigenous Australian Tools
Message Sticks
Use: communication

Indigenous Australians used over 200 spoken languages,

yet no written language. To help communicate, they
often used message sticks. Message sticks were carved in
a way that would help the carrier remember the message.
This allowed complex messages to be communicated a
very long way. Often they were carried by people who
could also speak several languages.

Nets
Use: hunting

Indigenous Australians made nets using bark or

special types of grass. They were used to catch ducks,
fish, eels and even emus.

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 Indigenous Australian Tools
Indigenous Australians used a variety of unique
tools in everyday life. These tools had many uses
including fishing, hunting, communication and
transport. Indigenous Australians think of these tools
as an important way of remembering how they are
connected to their country.

Boomerang
Use: hunting, fighting, ceremonies

The boomerang is a throwing stick made from wood.

Boomerangs were used for hunting animals (like kangaroos),
fighting and in ceremonies. Some boomerangs return
when they are thrown, whereas others do not. Returning
boomerangs tend to be smaller and lighter, but they can
be difficult to use in heavily wooded areas. Not all Indigenous Australians used
boomerangs.

Woomera
Use: hunting, fighting

The woomera is a wooden spear-thrower. Hunters used

the woomera to make the spear move faster and travel
further. The woomera could also be fitted with an axe
head so that it could be used for chopping wood and
meat.

Canoe
Use: hunting, transport

Indigenous Australians made quick and easy canoes

from tree bark. They were usually made from a large
slab of bark with rope used to hold the shape of the
canoe. These canoes allowed people to travel further
and hunt widely for fish and birds’ eggs.

Page 1 of 2 visit twinkl.au

 Indigenous Australian Tools
Message Sticks
Use: communication

Indigenous Australians used over 200 spoken

languages, yet no written language. To help
communicate, they frequently used message sticks.
Message sticks were carved in a way that would
help the carrier remember the message. This allowed
complex messages to be communicated over vast
distances. Often, they were carried by people who
could also speak several languages.

Nets
Use: hunting

Indigenous Australians made nets using bark or special

types of grass. They were used to catch ducks, fish, eels
and even emus.

Bags and Baskets

Use: carrying, cooking

Bags and baskets were very important to Indigenous

Australians. They were made from bark, grass or hair.
They were used to carry food, sift seeds and even carry
babies. Some baskets were so tightly woven that they
could carry honey. Bags and baskets were also very
important in many Dreamtime stories.

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