The Burrumbi Kids

While Western societies function on a calendar of four seasons (Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter), Aboriginal people have used their own seasonal calendars with as many as ten different seasons.

A challenging task for students is to identify the Aboriginal Seasonal Calendar for their community or region. Students may wish t describe and illustrate these seasons and produce their own calendar for the classroom.

The following weblinks provide further information on Aboriginal Seasonal Calendars:

Darebin: A Meeting Place Seasonal Calendar

http://www.darebin.vic.gov.au/Aboriginal/Calender.htm

Bureau of Meteorology: Indigenous Seasonal Descriptions

http://www.bom.gov.au/iwk/climate_culture/Indig_seasons.shtml

Tasmanian Holistic Education Network: Seasons, Calendars and Constellations

http://www.hent.org/hentnews/seasonsandconstellations.htm

VicNet: Seasonal Calendars for the Melbourne Area

http://home.vicnet.net.au/~herring/seasons.htm

Western Australian waters and rivers Commission

http://www.wrc.wa.gov.au/public/watertalk/wetlands/season.html

Other resources to refer to:

Alison Lester, Ernie Dances to the Didgeridoo

(Submitted by Des Crump and Michelle Witheyman-Crump West Moreton Anglican College)