Fighting boomerang
Date1850-1950
Object number00055510
NameBoomerang
Mediumwood
DimensionsOverall: 62 × 13 mm, 622 g, 914 m
ClassificationsTools and equipment
Credit LineAustralian National Maritime Museum Collection
DescriptionA fighting boomerang of an elongated and slightly curved shape. Its surface on one side features six bands of incised
curved lines with the reverse showing a totral coverage of lines.
HistoryLike many traditional weapons, boomerangs also have many uses. Typically used for hunting and fighting, boomerang designs varied in weight, size and shape which all allowed for a variety of uses. Smaller sized boomerangs were used for throwing but despite popular misconception, not all boomerangs are designed to return to the thrower. Like heavier throwing sticks, boomerangs were also used to knock down and impede a fleeing kangaroo or enemy. Larger and heavier boomerangs, with a slighter curve, were used as fighting weapons, not to be thrown over significant distances.
Boomerangs were also used as food gathering tools, digging sticks and fire starters by both men and women and were traded amongst different communities and regions, their versatility transcending specific areas. Like clubs and shields, boomerangs also played a role in ceremonies and dances with specific decorations indicating which participants could use them.
SignificanceThe boomerang is a symbol of cultural endurance for Aboriginal Australia, featuring in Dreamtime creation stories and appearing in various forms across widespread communities. Although a generic form is internationally associated with Australia, traditional designs and carvings of boomerangs were infinitely variable and individual.
1850-1950
