Artefacts
Aboriginal artefacts are objects made and used by Indigenous Australians. They served many purposes, from hunting and fishing to decoration and entertainment.
When it comes to weapons, different areas used different types. For example, one region might use shields and boomerangs while another would use clubs. Spears were also used for hunting and fighting, and could be thrown further and with greater accuracy using spear-throwers.
Clubs, also known as waddies or nulla-nullas, were used for a range of tasks such as digging and fishing, as well as for fighting. Hard, heavy woods like ironwood were used to make clubs that could cause serious injury. Some were fire-hardened and others had sharp stones attached to the handle.
Boomerangs are a well-known symbol of Australia and come in two types: returning and non-returning. The oldest wooden boomerang ever found is about 9,500 years old. Boomerangs were used for hunting, digging, cutting, making fire, and even music.
Shields were mostly used by warriors to protect themselves in battles. They were made of wood or bark and often had decorative paintings or carvings. A shield that had never lost a battle was considered powerful and highly valued.
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A large, Hunting & Fighting Boomerang (Coopers Creek), late 19th century$3,200 -
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A Fighting Boomerang (Darling River), late 19th century$2,200 -
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A late 19th century Parrying Shield, late 19th century$4,000 -
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A Rare Fighting Club, late 19th century$1,800 -
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A Hooked or Swann-Necked Boomerang, early 20th century$2,800 -
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Historical Wonnarua Grouping – A Nulla Nulla or Wadi, A Finely Engraved Hunting & Ceremonial Boomerang and A Hunting Boomerang, late 19th Century, or early 20th Century$10,800 -
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An Exceptional Wunda Shield, Western Australian, late 19th century$7,000 -
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A South-Eastern Parrying Shield, early 20th century$3,800
