Aboriginal Culture
Discover Aboriginal culture
Australia’s Aboriginal people are the custodians of the world’s oldest living culture. South Australia is home to a number of groups that includes the Kaurna people (Adelaide Plains), Adnyamathanha (Flinders Ranges) and Ngarrindjeri (Lower Lakes of the Murray River).
Start your discovery of Aboriginal culture at the Australian Aboriginal Cultures Gallery in the South Australian Museum. It’s home to the world’s finest collection of indigenous artefacts, including hunting spears and boomerangs.
The Flinders Ranges
Take a journey of the outback. Marvel at Aboriginal cave paintings, sleep under the stars and enjoy a tale around the camp fire. Visit areas rich in Aboriginal history. Tours by Heading Bush and Banksia Adventures can guide you through the South Australian outback.
Travelling at your own pace? The Aboriginal dreaming story of Akurra is a powerful story about dreaming serpents whose bodies formed the sides of Wilpena Pound. Sit in “the head” of one of the serpents and look at ancient rock art that tells the full story…
If you’re driving through the Flinders Ranges and outback, follow the Aboriginal Dreaming Trail which gives an insight into the formation of the Flinders Ranges as told by the local Aboriginal people. There is a series of interpretive sites and places to see ancient rock art.
Adelaide and hills
Tandanya National Cultural Aboriginal Institute is an art, performance and meeting space in Adelaide. Meet Aboriginal people, enjoy cultural performances of the yidaki (the didgeridoo) and shop for authentic art and craft.
In the Adelaide Hills, visit the old German village of Hahndorf; home to the Ancient Earth gallery. It has a fine collection of Aboriginal artworks. The indigenous-owned gallery holds Aboriginal dance performances telling some of the long-lost dreaming stories of the hills’ Peramangk people.
Things to do
How to get there, who will show you around. Learn about Aboriginal culture at sites and locations of cultural importance.
Things to see
Visit places that will give you a feel for Aboriginal culture, past and present. See the world’s largest collection of artefacts.
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