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.

Tools and Technologies

• 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.