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• TLF-IDM006635

Tree-climbing activities and climbing contests were widespread and helped to develop a skill of practical use. There were a variety of methods of climbing trees used in different parts of Australia. Some of these involved the use of vines or notches cut into trees. The Victoria River people in the Northern Territory arranged ...

• TLF-IDM006641

A small number of ‘marble’ type games (either traditional or introduced) were played in various parts of Australia. Gugada boys, living near Tarcoola in South Australia, used wooden marbles. The marbles placed in the ring were called kooka (meat) and the shooting marble was called kodji (spear). In the 1940s on Mer Island, ...

• TLF-IDM006643

A ‘secret’ play-language game was reported on Waiben (Thursday) Island in the early 1970s. It was spoken by girls in Torres Strait Creole and was introduced to Dauan Island, where it was spoken in the local language. The language was spoken fluently in unprepared talk. This is a play-language game in which players insert ...

• TLF-IDM006646

Various types of running and stepping games were played in many parts of Australia. This is a running and stepping activity in which players step on (or over) markers. The Yulunga: Traditional Indigenous Games resource was developed to provide all Australians with a greater understanding and appreciation of Indigenous culture ...

• TLF-IDM006650

Skipping with a vine was popular with the Jagara (or Jagera) people of Brisbane and surrounding areas. The game outlined below was based on a 1950s account by an elder named Gaiarbu. To play this skipping game successfully, the players needed to be very active and had to have plenty of practice. This is a skipping game ...

• TLF-IDM006658

Regular mock combat tournaments took place in the Cardwell and Tully River areas of north Queensland. The Mallanpara people called this a prun. It was essentially an entertainment activity, though the opportunity was taken to settle disputes, real or imaginary. It also gave the men a chance to show off their prowess and ...

• TLF-IDM006660

In most parts of Australia the young boys (and sometimes girls) played mock combat games for enjoyment and as a practice for adult life. Toy spears were made from thin, light sticks, or else from grasses, reeds and rushes. The spears were held at their lighter ends and thrown either with the hand or with a toy woomera (throwing ...

• TLF-IDM006662

A woomera or throwing stick was used by Aboriginal boys and men in all parts of Australia to propel spears with great force, often over considerable distances. On Dunk Island in Queensland a favourite target for spear-throwing contests was the white ant nests hanging from the gum trees. This is a throwing competition for ...

• TLF-IDM006675

The Kal boming (fire-hitting) game was played by the Noongar people in the southern districts of Western Australia and called for both agility and strength. A fire was lit either on the ground or the top of a Balga or Xanthorrhoea (‘grass tree’). The players divided themselves into two teams. One side tried to put the fire ...

• TLF-IDM006679

Boomerang throwing was a popular activity with Aboriginal groups in many parts of Australia. While the fighting boomerang was often used as a toy, the returning boomerang implement was often constructed solely and especially for purposes of sport and amusement. The toy, or returning boomerang, was usually thrown only by ...