Australia's original inhabitants, known as Australian Aborigines, have the longest continuous cultural history in the world, with origins dating back to the last Ice Age. Although mystery and debate shroud many aspects of Australian prehistory, it is generally accepted that the first humans traveled across the sea from Indonesia about 70,000 years ago. The first visitors, called ‘Robust’ by archaeologists because of their heavy-boned physique, were followed 20,000 years later by the more slender ‘Gracile’ people, the ancestors of Australian Aborigines. Europeans began to encroach on Australia in the 16th century; Dutch explorers followed Portuguese navigators and the enterprising English pirate William Dampier. Captain James Cook sailed the entire length of the eastern coast in 1770, stopping at Botany Bay on the way. After rounding Cape York, he claimed the continent for the British and named it New South Wales. In 1779, Joseph Banks (a naturalist on Cook’s voyage) suggested that Britain could solve overcrowding problems in its prisons by transporting convicts to New South Wales. In 1787, the First Fleet set sail for Botany Bay under the command of Captain Arthur Philip, who was to become the colony’s first governor. The fleet comprised 11 ships, 750 male and female convicts, four companies of marines and supplies for two years. Philip arrived in Botany Bay on January 26, 1788, but soon moved north to Sydney Cove, where there was better land and water.
Australia’s famous instrument
The didgeridoo, a wind instrument of the Indigenous Australians of northern Australia is sometimes described as a natural wooden trumpet. They are usually cylindrical or conical in shape and come in all lengths. The longer the instrument, the lower the pitch. It is commonly claimed to be the world's oldest wind instrument and rock art in Northern Australia suggests that the Aboriginal people have been using the didgeridoo for about 1500 years. Authentic didgeridoos are usually made from hardwoods, especially the eucalyptus tree. The difficult part is finding a tree that has been suitably hollowed out by termites. Once a suitable tree is found and cut down, a section of the trunk or a branch is utilized to make the didgeridoo. The bark is taken off, the ends trimmed and some shaping of the exterior may happen. The instrument may be painted or left undecorated and a rim of beeswax may be applied to the mouthpiece end. Authentic didgeridoos are prized by musicians and collectors all over the world.
posted by Hills @ 3:58 PM
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