Spirituality Based Inquiry

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Aboriginal Australian Spirituality

Aboriginal Australians living in their traditional societies have found the answers to where they came from, how they came, and how they live now from the Dreaming. The Dreaming deals with space and also time, and takes in both the past and the present. The concept of the Dreamtime recalls a majestic and sacred time in the remote past when the spirit ancestors came upon the Earth. However, for Aboriginal peoples, the Dreaming also continues today: it is the bond between that eternal moment of Creation and the particular area of land, or the specific totemic plants and animals, which symbolise the vital link with the Beginning.

Gibbs, R M 1998, The Aborigines, 4th edition, Longman, South Melbourne, Vic., p. 3.

Voig, A & Dury, N 1997, Wisdom from the earth: the living legacy of the Aboriginal dreamtime, Simon & Schuster, Sydney, p. 32.

Library Resources
eReserve
AV Resources
Web Resources

Library Resources

Important note Care should always be taken when using these resources when Aboriginal people are present. Please always ensure that the content of the books you look at, and the other resources you may use will not cause offense.

Dewey Number

  • 299.92 = Aboriginal mythology
  • 305.89915 = Australian aborigines
  • 398.20994 = Aboriginal folklore
  • 759.089915 = Aboriginal art

Keyword Searching

  • Aboriginal Spirituality

Subject Headings

Collection Highlights

There are many books in both the Library and Religious Education Faculty's resources that will help your research on this topic. A few are listed below:

Reference resources

eReserve

  • Mudrooroo, (1994), 'Introduction', from Aboriginal mythology: an A-Z spanning the history of Aboriginal mythology from the earliest legends to the present day, Aquarian, London, pp. (vii - xii).
  • Worms, E.A., Petri, H., (1998), 'The Religion of the Tasmanian Aborigines', in Australian Aboriginal religions, Spectrum Publications, Richmond, pp. 201-212.

AV Resources

Web Resources