Aboriginal Australians – The World’s First Aquaculturalists:
Native Australian oyster species occur naturally in coastal oyster banks & reefs along Australia's east coast. Not surprisingly, the indigenous population made good use of this rich food source, feasting on stocks during seasonal visits to coastal regions well before the arrival of Europeans.
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Kitchen middens confirm that oysters formed an important, substantial & continuous part of the Aboriginal diet for at least ten thousand years. And with some of these shell deposits measuring up to 400 metres long & four metres deep, it is clear that it was a long passed on tradition.
Midden contents show that indigenous Australians also used oyster shells for various purposes, including fish hooks, hand-held implements & cutting & piercing tools.
In addition, some Aboriginal communities placed shells in estuaries prior to the spawning period, providing substrate to catch fresh oyster seed, thus making them one of, if not the first, culture in the world to practice aquaculture.
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The original inhabitants of the south east, members of the Yuin nation, utilised this extensive & rich food source for thousands of years.
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Along the Pambula River and Lake alone, more than thirty midden sites have been identified, some more than a metre in height. Comprised mostly of shells, but with some stone artefacts and animal bones, they provide a valuable record of local indigenous activity and occupation. Dating back more than 3,500 years, they are the best preserved mounded middens on Australia’s east coast, making them locally, nationally & internationally significant.
Members of the local indigenous community continue to be involved in the region’s thriving oyster farming industry right through to the present day.
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