Australian Aborigines: Noongar

The Noongar are indigenous Australian people who live in the south-west corner of Western Australia. Archaeological evidence from Perth and Albany suggests that the Noongar people have lived in the area for at least 45,000 years. Traditional Noongar made a living by hunting and trapping a variety of game, including kangaroos, possums and wallabies; by fishing using spears and fish traps; as well as by gathering an extensive range of edible wild plants, including wattle seeds. Noongar people utilized quartz instead of flint for spear and knife edges.The Noongar people lived in balance with the natural environment. Their social structure was focused on the family with Noongar family groups occupying distinct areas of Noongar Country.