Early Beginnings
Delve into South Australia's regions and discover their early beginnings - their indigenous heritage.
The Dreaming means we humans were not separate from the environment, but indivisibly united with it. Still today Aboriginal Australians see themselves as part of the land, and the land is part of us. Long before colonisation in 1788, other maritime cultures frequently visited this great southern land for exploration and to trade goods. Colonisation marked the beginning when Aboriginal people lost their land, and so lost themselves.
South Australia is made up of language groups, each aligned with Spirit Ancestors of the Dreaming. These Spirit Ancestors are commonly symbolised, as totems of native Australian animals such as the kangaroo, emu, snake, birds. Learn more of our fascinating early beginnings in the articles below.
Download Adelaide map
See the fascinating Kaurna language map of Adelaide and surrounds [PDF 588kb].
Early Beginnings - Regions
- Adelaide Hills Early Beginnings
- Long before European settlement, the Mount Lofty ranges were inhabited by the Permangk people. Read More
- Eyre Peninsula Early Beginnings
- Discover the Aboriginal owned and operated tourism experiences on Eyre Peninsula. Read More
- Fleurieu Peninsula Early Beginnings
- Delve into the fascinating histories and traditions the Kaurna, Peramangk and Ngarrindjeri. Read More
- Limestone Coast Early Beginnings
- The history of the Limestone Coast is recorded in the rich oral histories of the Ngarrindjeri people. Read More
- Murraylands Early Beginnings
- For thousands of years, many Aboriginal peoples have relied on the Murray River's abundance. Read More
- Yorke Peninsula
- Narungga people have always lived on Yorke Peninsula, which is criss crossed with stories of the dreamtime. Read More
