Aboriginal Hunting Boomerang from Yalata Mission, South Australia

Item TB353     

This Item was Sold on 25 August 2015 for $83


Similar artifacts for sale are often found on the Aboriginal Hunting Boomerangs web page.

Historical Pricing information for this item and similar artifacts can be found at: Historical Artifact Prices.


When Aborigines came out of the bush in the middle of the 20th Century, they usually sought shelter at the Christian missions that were built on the frontiers of the outback. The Aborigines would set up camps at or near the missions and make artifacts to trade to the missionaries for sugar, flour, tobacco and other non-indigenous goods. The missions would then sell the artifacts to tourists. The early transition artifacts were of very good quality and they were similar to what the Aborigines made in the bush. However, the missions would not buy these artifacts unless the Aborigines added non-indigenous art to make these artifacts more appealing to the tourists.

This hunting boomerang, or throwstick was made out of hard Mulga wood, probably in the early to mid 1900s. The art is identical to what the Aborigines put on their artifacts before they were sold to the Yalata Mission in South Australia. The wood is dark brown with blonde edges on one blade. Both surfaces are smooth and without the adze marks that you generally find on Western or Central Desert artifacts. The upper surface has incised artwork depicting 4 kangaroos in a bush scene. This throwstick is in excellent condition with no dings or cracks.

Length = 54 cm ; Weight = 264 gm


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