Photos from the REAL Australia

Aboriginal Arts and Crafts from Northern Australia

Australia's Aboriginal people have a strong material culture that is intricately bound to their ritual life and the methods by which it is produced haven't changed for centuries, although today "modern" materials are also used.

Aboriginal art objects, like paintings made on bark and the famous "didjeridu" (yirdaki) drone pipes are now made for sale and are an important source of income for many groups. There are famous artists, commanding high prices. Aboriginal art is justly famous, both in Australia itself and abroad.

But, next to items for sale, like painted "didjeridus" and bark paintings, there are also items made for home use, like woven string bags and baskets made by the women and pottery made by the Tiwi people of Bathurst Island. Items like spears, used for fishing, are still produced by the men and the famous "Pukumani" funerary poles are still of paramount importance on Bathurst and Melville Island.

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Making a spear	Pukumani poles	Pottery at Tiwi Designs	Tiwi carved birds	Weaving a basket
Basket weaving	Kangaroo bark painting	Traditional painting	Snake painting	Fish painting
Painting a didjeridu	Decorated didjeridus	Painting a didjeridu	Aboriginal weaving	Bark painting
Weaving string bag	Making barkpainting	At Tiwi Designs	Painting on canvas	Bark basket
Wooden brolga	Wooden mask	Didjeridu collection	Funerary poles	Making fish spear

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