Victorian Aboriginal life and customs through early European eyes

Within two generations of the first European settlement of Victoria traditional Aboriginal society was almost entirely destroyed. At the same time many European settlers, government officials and missionaries observed and documented aspects of the everyday lives of the people they were displacing. This selection of over 700 extracts from a wide variety of these sources provides glimpses into this rich and complex world. It includes notes on hunting, fishing and associated technologies; on clothing, ornaments and recreation; on social relationships, exchange systems, ceremonies and associations with Country.

This book is a convenient entry-point into this important body of information which is otherwise often difficult to access, and will be of use to anyone with an interest in Victorian Indigenous history and society.

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