'It is possible to make deductions about a disappeared Aboriginal group from north-west Victoria by interpreting their use of celestial phenomena as recorded halfway through the nineteenth century. The night sky of the Boorong was like a giant blackboard filled with potent images representing a range of ecological knowledge and moral suasion. Inferences are made of how this multi-functional mnemonic device supported the oral culture in which the family played a key function.'
Notes
Presented at the Third AURA (The Australian Rock Art Research Association) Congress, "Rock art and indigenous astronomies" held at Alice Springs, 10-14 July 2000