Hunters and Gatherers Rainforest
Aboriginal people have a profound spiritual connection to their land and the rainforest. The circles in the reproduction of the traditional painting “Hunters and Gatherers Rainforest” represent the life forces of the rainforest and the colours of the circles symbolise the vivid colours of the rainforest. Aboriginals lived in small family groups and were a hunter-gatherer people who adapted well to the rainforest. The aboriginal woman is carrying a Coolamon or wooden bowl on her head to hold food including vegetables, fruit, eggs and honey collected from the rainforest. The women owned and had special responsibilities towards sacred sites in the landscape, associated with song, cycles and Dreaming stories.  They also had control of the secret ceremonies of reproduction, and as child bearers and childrearers they were highly valued. The Coolamon could also be filled with sand and an aboriginal woman was then able to carry her baby safely on her hip.