AusEmade logo
Home • Accommodation • Attractions • Links • Resources • Transport • Insurance • Travel Articles • Forum • Aboriginal Tourism

Aboriginal Tourism Australia

ACT • NSW • NT • QLD • SA • TAS • VIC • WA • New Zealand

Aboriginal Symbols

Indigenous Australia

Aboriginal Tourism
Home
  > National Attractions
  > NSW Attractions
  > NT Attractions
  > QLD Attractions
  > SA Attractions
  > VIC Attractions
  > WA Attractions
Art, Craft, Gallery
Shop Online
Tours
Other Links

Resources
Art, Craft & Culture
Dreamtime
Ochre
Symbols
  > Bush Tucker
  > Environment
  > Human Activity
  > Rain River Water
  > Wildlife

Links - Symbols
Discount Hotel Reservation - Hotel Club
Last minute hotel reservation!
Click for secure booking
Aboriginal Tourism - Indigenous Australia - Iconography and Symbols
The dotted motifs of much of today's Aboriginal modern design work has become the trademark of the contemporary Aboriginal Art movement. Its iconic status developed from a culture stretching back into the history of an ancient land, evolving and weaving into desert dreamtime stories.

Some of the symbols used in Aboriginal art appear to be the same, but can mean different things, such as the circle symbol and when viewed in monochrome the symbol can look similar, such as the circles within circles, sometimes depicted on its own, sparsely or in clustered groups.

When this symbol is used and depending on the Aboriginal tribe you belong to, it can vary in meaning from campfire, tree, hill, digging hole, waterhole or spring. It use of the symbol can be clarified further by the use of colour, with water often being depicted as blue.
 

Whatever the meaning, interpretations of the symbols should be taken in context of the entire painting, the region from which the artist originates from, the story behind the painting, the style of the painting, with additional clues being the colours used in some of the more modern works.

Check out the interpretation of the following symbols to describe the environment, landscape and things in the landscape, used by Aboriginal people.

Back to Top

Aboriginal - Symbols, Icons and Imagery

SymbolsHuman ActivityMan Woman ChildToolsBush TuckerWildlife
Environment Landscape Rain River Water
Environment and Landscape - Symbols, Icons and Imagery
Sandhill or cloud - Aboriginal Art & Symbolism © AusEmade PL
sandhill or cloud
Water flow, smoke, lightning, bush fire - Aboriginal Art & Symbolism © AusEmade PL
used to depict water flow, smoke, lightning, bush fire
Landscape / desert landscape - Aboriginal Art & Symbolism © AusEmade PL
landscape / desert landscape
Rainbow / cloud - Aboriginal Art & Symbolism © AusEmade PL
rainbow / cloud
Star / sun - Aboriginal Art & Symbolism © AusEmade PL
star / sun

rockholes
Rain, River, Water - Symbols, Icons and Imagery
Water - Aboriginal Art & Symbolism © AusEmade PL
This symbol sometimes found on a cave wall, signify to travellers the presence of water
Waterhole & frogs - Aboriginal Art & Symbolism © AusEmade PL
The blue circles represent waterholes.

The brown circles represent frogs burrowed in the ground
Waterhole - Aboriginal Art & Symbolism © AusEmade PL
waterhole (signifies water or number of waterholes)
Waterholes connected by running water - Aboriginal Art & Symbolism © AusEmade PL
waterholes connected by
running water
Waterholes - Aboriginal Art & Symbolism © AusEmade PL
waterholes
River/stream and waterhole - Aboriginal Art & Symbolism © AusEmade PL
river/stream and waterhole
Rain - Aboriginal Art & Symbolism © AusEmade PL
rain
rain - Aboriginal Art & Symbolism © AusEmade PL
rain
Rain - Aboriginal Art & Symbolism © AusEmade PL
rain
Rain - Aboriginal Art & Symbolism © AusEmade PL
rain
Rain - Aboriginal Art & Symbolism © AusEmade PL
rain (also used to depict ants)

whirlpool
Back to Top

 AusEmade® Pty Ltd
 ABN 53 091 811 068

Advertise | Free Listing | Contact | AusEmade RSS feed

Privacy | Disclaimer | Copyright 
Updated: 15-November-2008 


Sydney Hotels | Melbourne Hotels | Brisbane Hotels | Adelaide Hotels | Perth Hotels | Hobart Hotels | Darwin Hotels | Cairns Hotels
Gold Coast Hotels | Noosa Hotels | Coffs Harbour Hotels | Canberra Hotels | Alice Springs Hotels | Port Douglas Hotels | Broome Hotels