Aboriginal Land Management

• geography
• MBO
• Studiejaar 2

Fire

Fire is an important symbol in Aboriginal culture.

Traditionally it was used as a practical tool in hunting, cooking, warmth and managing the landscape. It also holds great spiritual meaning, with many stories, memories and dance being passed down around the fire.

What were some reasons that Aboriginal people lit fires?

What can you see in the following pictures?

Black Saturday Bushfires 2009

Over 170 people were killed in the Black Saturday bushfire in Victoria

What did you notice about the fires? Why were they so severe?

How could Aboriginal fire management have helped this situation?

The devastating 2015 Christmas bush fire at the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, triggered also by lightning, was only able to destroy a third of homes in Wye River and “entire streets” because “this country has not burnt, had a fire in it, in decades,” as Craig Lapsley, Victoria’s Emergency Management Commissioner admitted [12].

This trend has not been reversed yet. “Since European settlement, fires in the north have increased in size and severity. This has threatened biodiversity as well as increased greenhouse gas emissions,” says Dr Garry Cook from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) [10].

The right time depends on the ecosystem of the burn area because each system has its own identity and needs. An ecosystem is for example a forest of boxwood or tea trees, rainforest, or heath areas along rivers and springs.

A central idea in fire management is to have a cool fire. Night time or early mornings are ideal for cool fires as during the day plants sweat out flammable oils, and a nightly dew helps cool down the fire.

During a morning burn the wind is often gentle and supports Aboriginal people direct the burn. Without the help of the wind burning cannot happen at the right time.