When searching for information it is important to consider what key search words and terms are going to be the most relevant to your topic. It's a good idea to first familiarise yourself with the topic by reading a book or using an online encyclopedia such as Britannica. During this process it will be advantageous to consider any synonyms. A thesaurus is an excellent tool for helping you identify synonyms. Click here to see how many different synonyms you can find for your key search terms. It's a good idea to start searching using a broad search term to help familiarise yourself with the topic, however if your search returns too many results or you're looking for a more specific result, begin to narrow your search terms down. See the table below for some examples.
| BROAD KEY SEARCH TERMS | EXAMPLES OF NARROWER KEY SEARCH TERMS |
|
Aboriginal Australians/ First Australians/ First people of Australia |
Aboriginal life pre-European settlement, Aboriginal life before European contact, Aboriginal life pre-colonisation, Aboriginal life pre 1788, Aboriginal life pre-invasion |
| Aboriginal culture | Aboriginal art, Aboriginal paintings, Aboriginal music, Aboriginal dance, Aboriginal ceremonies, Aboriginal film and television, Aboriginal literature, Aboriginal traditional clothing, Aboriginal ceremonial dress, Aboriginal fishing methods, Aboriginal tools and weapons |
| Aboriginal food |
Aboriginal bush foods in the Northern Territory, bush tucker in New South Wales, kangaroo, emu, wombat, crocodile, fish, grubs, moths, beetles, bush tomatoes, native cucumbers |
| Aboriginal houses/ Aboriginal shelter | Aboriginal hut, humpy, gunya, wiltija, mia-mia |
Map of Indigenous Australia (AIATSIS)
60,000+ years ago to 1788 - (Working with Indigenous Australians)
Aboriginal society prior to British settlement (Working with Indigenous Australians)
Introduction to Indigenous Australia (Australian Museum)
Traditional Aboriginal burning (Government of Western Australia)
Did Aboriginal people and Asian people trade before European settlement in Darwin? (ABC News)
Art of the Skins 2 minute Video (State Library of QLD)
Indigenous storytelling 2 minute video (Jade Dolman)