What does Aborigine mean? What's the difference between the terms Aborigine and Koori? .
The word Aborigine is taken from the Latin language and means "from the beginning". This is the name given to the native Australians by the Europeans. Although the Aborigines did not call them selves the name they were given by the Europeans and preferred to call themselves Koori.
2. Where did the Aborigines come from and when?.
Aborigines are dark-skinned people belonging to the Australoid group who came from Asia. It's not quite sure how they came to Australia around 60,000 years ago. They may have walked and sailed here from Asia.
3. How did they supply themselves with food? What was the boomerang used for? Koori's roamed from place to place-hunting animals using spears and boomerangs. They also gathered fruits, nuts and yams, which they ate.
4. How many Aborigines were there and how were they organised? .
There were 300,000 aborigines divided into 250 tribal groups before the first white settlers came. Each group had its own territory, traditions, beliefs and unique language.
5. What do the Aborigines associate with the term Dreamtime?.
For Australia's Aborigines history began in the Dreamtime, a time in history when the earth was flat and the spirits travelled the country creating all the features and landscapes. The spirits, usually in the shapes of animals, formed these landscapes; this forms the basis of aboriginal folklore and ritual to this day, with each tribe being responsible for the maintenance of a different aspect.
6. What did the Aborigines think of the white settlers?.
The Aboriginal people had never seen white people until Captain James Cook. When he landed in Botany Bay, they were shocked by their colour and strange appearance of the white people. When the Aborigines first saw the white people they thought they were dead spirits of their ancestors they treated the white people with friendliness yet they were puzzled by their behaviour.
