2.5.4 Occupation and migration The changing climate and rising sea levels of the Holocene period created Australia’s coastal islands. Rottnest Island in Western Australia, Kangaroo Island in South Australia and Flinders Island in Tasmania were cut off from the Australian mainland by the rising water. Archaeological evidence tells us that people lived in these locations before sea levels flooded their land. Rottnest Island, traditionally named Wadjemup by the Noongar People, was isolated approximately 7000 years ago. The shell middens and stone tools found by archaeologists show the evidence of long occupation by people who had lived from the coastal plants and animals. Noongar stories describe a time when their people lived on Rottnest Island, providing evidence of their enduring spiritual connection to Country. The evidence of vast trade networks, shared practices, beliefs and tool technology show that even as people were forced to move from their flooded land they kept their Country and cultural connections. The stories kept the Deep Time knowledge of the great changes to Country, and how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples from all across Australia responded and adapted to their new landscapes.
SkillBuilder discussion Communicating 1. Where is the Dampier Archipelago? 2. How does the source show an ‘archipelago’? 3. What evidence does the source show of rising sea levels?
SOURCE5 An aerial view of the Dampier Archipelago, on the northwestern coast of Australia
2.5 SkillBuilder activity COMMUNICATING SOURCE4 talks about the Yamuti and the giant Diprotodon . Like the Aranda story of the Kadimakara, the Yamuti story was told to children for many generations. The Yidindji People from Cairns tell stories about when their ancestors lived on land with big floodplains and hills, where the Great Barrier Reef is now. The Nukunu People from Spencer Gulf have stories about a time when the gulf was not so deep. The Narrangga People remember when the gulf was a marshy place with lots of birds and animals. Children learned about the Dreaming and Country from stories told by their Elders. 1. Research another story that explains how Australia’s land and climate have changed, how rising sea levels affected it, or about Australia’s giant animals. Connect this story to the Deep Time history of Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. 2. Communicate your research as an illustrated storybook for children. The story should explain the key features of Country and climate, or the role of Palaeolithic giants in it.
34 Jacaranda Humanities Alive 7 Victorian Curriculum Third Edition
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