Bruce Pascoe: Aboriginal agriculture, technology and ingenuity

In 2014, Bruce Pascoe wrote a book called Dark Emu that challenged the belief that the First Australians were hunter-gatherers.

In researching his book, Bruce examined the journals of the early explorers and found evidence of a complex civilisation that was using sophisticated technologies to live, farm and manage the land.

Researchers continue to discover new evidence of the earliest human occupation of Australia. A recent scientific study in south-west Victoria suggests Aboriginal Australians may have been living on the continent for 120,000 years.

In this series of videos, we learn about the history of Aboriginal agriculture and technology and celebrate the ingenuity of the First Australians.

Chapter 1: Bruce Pascoe
Chapter 2: Stone Tools
Chapter 3: The explorers’ diaries
Chapter 4: Grain and bread
Chapter 5: Roast duck and cake in the desert
Chapter 6: Trees and connection
Chapter 7: Murnong and tubers
Chapter 8: Plants and farming
Chapter 9: Aquaculture
Chapter 10: Nets and rope
Chapter 11: Housing
Chapter 12: Birds and totems
Chapter 13: Fire
Chapter 14: Language and plants