The Aboriginal Astronomy Project is a collaboration of researchers who are studying the astronomical knowledge and traditions of Indigenous Australians. It is based in the Department of Indigenous Studies (Warawara) at Macquarie University and is part of the Research Centre for Astronomy, Astrophysics & Astrophotonics. The project maintains close ties with Sydney Observatory
When the British first occupied Australia in 1788, many of
the Aboriginal people that they drove from their land probably knew the
Southern sky better than the most accomplished British navigators. But 
nobody
thought to ask.
The southern sky is striking compared to that of the Northern hemisphere. For those living in Australia before the advent of streetlights, the night sky would be an important and integral part of their understanding of the world. Naturally, they would notice that particular stars or patterns seen only at certain times of the year and furthermore, since many chose to travel in the cool of the night, they would quickly find that stars are useful for navigation.
Since Aboriginal cultures stretch
back unbroken for 50,000 years or more, it has been suggested that Aboriginal
Australians were the world's first astronomers. This argument rests upon two
hypotheses: one is that the Aboriginal people were practicing astronomy, and
the second is that these practices stretch back 50,000 years. This project aims to answer the questions:
· Are there cultures in which the astronomy is a central feature rather than lying on the periphery?
· Is there evidence that the complex motions of the sky have been recorded either verbally or in rock art or stone arrangements?
· Is there evidence that transient phenomena
such as supernovae, comets, meteors were recorded?
In addition, an important underlying goal is to record the rock art and verbal traditions and make them available (where appropriate) both now and in the future. There are two main threads to the project:
1. Studies of rock art, stone arrangements, and artefacts in South-East Australia
2. Discussions with traditional Aboriginal groups living in Arnhem land, Central Australia, and elsewhere, recording their songs, stories, and art.
These are accompanied
by two guiding principles: to respect the culture of the people that the
project is working with, and ensure they maintain ownership.