This thesis shows a reconstruction that moves beyond a monolithic view of Aboriginal Astronomy in Tasmania, commonly portrayed in previous research. It was found that stars, the Milky Way, Orion, dark nebula, the sun and moon, as well as transient phenomenon (aurora and eclipse), held cultural, spiritual and practical meaning within Tasmanian Aboriginal cultures. The interrogation of this data through linguistics, comparative research and Stellairum reveal a complexity of sky knowledge evident between the nine language groups of Tasmania. This thesis uses historical textual analysis to draw these fragments from the record and organize into a database. Fragments can be found scattered in the ethnographic record throughout the nineteenth century. With the arrival of European settlers, the (astronomical) cultures of Tasmanian Aboriginal people were interrupted and dispersed.

Aboriginal peoples of Tasmania lived in isolation with the environment for thousands of years, the canopy of stars a central presence on the daily and spiritual lives of Tasmania.

Stellarium full apk