Food in Australia Flashcards
Victoria’s First Peoples
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities have been gathering, growing, harvesting, and using native ingredients for 60,000 years.
- Their food systems were productive, sustainable, and equitable.
- They preserved biodiversity and were resilient to climate change.
- Foods and flavorings came from the land, providing insights into food traditions and future adaptations.
- Plant foods, animal foods, insects and marine animals were part of their diet.
- First Nations Peoples designed tools and technologies still used today.
- Examples include boomerangs, spearheads, arrowheads, canoes, grinding stones, fish traps, eel traps, shellfish traps, dilly bags, and bark troughs.
- Paperbark was used to wrap food for cooking.
- Bark troughs were used to boil water and separate seeds.
- Dilly bags were used to collect and transport bush foods.
Human and Natural Resources
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples were the first land managers.
- Aquaculture at Budj Bim is one of the oldest aquaculture systems in the world.
- Understanding seasonal cycles and weather patterns was crucial.
- Firestick farming promoted plant regeneration and kept the Country in balance.
Challenges for First Settlers
- European settlers faced challenges including different climatic conditions, crop failures, and limited agricultural knowledge.
- Indigenous Australians faced challenges including the introduction of pests, clearing of bushland, and diseases.
Development of Food Production
- Factors influencing development include knowledge and skills, machinery, population growth, World War I, and technology.
- Colonists learned about the landscape and climate, leading to a successful primary food production industry.
- Machinery such as the stump-jump plough and Sunshine Harvester were invented.
- A growing population increased demand for locally grown foods.
- Food supplies were rationed during World War I, and Australia became a major supplier to Britain.
Development of Food Industries
- Factors contributing to change and growth include agriculture, horticulture, the dairy industry, and the canning industry.
- James Ruse successfully grew wheat crops, and William Farrer developed the Federation strain.
- Merino sheep were introduced, leading to successful meat and wool production.
- Irrigation was developed around the Murray Valley, influencing the growth of the citrus industry.
- The dairy industry expanded, with powdered milk becoming a major export.
- Canning played a large role in preserving foods and extending shelf life.