Records of the Western Australian Museum 18: 93-101 (1996). 
Australian Aborigines and meteorites 
A.W.R. Bevan 1 and P. Bindon 2 
'Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, 2 Department of Anthropology, 
Western Australian Museum, Francis Street, Perth, Western Australia 6000 
Abstract - Numerous mythological references to meteoritic events by 
Aboriginal people in Australia contrast with the scant physical evidence of 
their interaction with meteoritic materials. Possible reasons for this are the 
unsuitability of some meteorites for tool making and the apparent inability 
of early Aborigines to work metallic materials. However, there is a strong 
possibility that Aborigines witnessed one or more of the several recent (< 
5000 yrs BP) meteorite impact events in Australia. Evidence for Aboriginal 
use of meteorites and the recognition of meteoritic events is critically 
evaluated. 
INTRODUCTION 
The ceremonial and practical significance of 
Australian tektites (australites) in Aboriginal life is 
extensively documented (Baker 1957 and 
references therein; Edwards 1966). However, 
despite abundant evidence throughout the world 
that many other ancient civilizations recognised, 
utilized and even revered meteorites (particularly 
meteoritic iron) (e.g., see Buchwald 1975 and 
references therein), there is very little physical or 
documentary evidence of Aboriginal acknowledge¬ 
ment or use of meteoritic materials. In view of the 
prolonged, skilful and widespread use of a variety 
of natural materials by Aborigines in antiquity, the 
apparent absence of the use of meteorites in their 
culture is enigmatic. 
Such scant evidence that exists of possible 
Aboriginal recognition of meteorites in Australia is 
circumstantial and indirect. The purpose of this 
paper is two-fold: firstly, to review, critically, the 
available evidence of the possible recognition of 
meteorites by Aborigines; and secondly, to present 
evidence from Western Australia suggesting that 
there may have been some use of meteoritic 
materials, particularly in the Nullarbor Region. 
The evidence of possible Aboriginal recognition 
of meteorites can be grouped into three main 
categories: Aboriginal description of meteoritic 
events and sites, transport of meteorites from their 
sites of fall, and utilization of meteoritic materials. 
Examples of these three categories are listed under 
the relevant State and Territory below. Those 
geographic localities mentioned in the text are 
shown in Figure 1. 
BACKGROUND 
Meteorites have been found throughout 
Australia, although for climatic and physiographic 
reasons they are rarely found in tropical Australia. 
The history of the recovery of meteorites in 
Australia has been reviewed by Bevan (1992). 
Within the continent there are two significant areas 
for the recovery of meteorites: the Nullarbor 
Region, and the area around the Menindee Lakes 
of western New South Wales. These accumulations 
have resulted from prolonged aridity that has 
allowed the preservation of meteorites for 
thousands of years after their fall, and the large 
numbers that have been recovered are a direct 
result of their ease of recognition in those 
environments. Most meteorites are dark rocks and 
in areas like the Nullarbor they stand out as 
unusual against the pale indigenous limestone. 
Bevan (1992) has suggested that similarly dense 
accumulations of meteorites are likely to occur 
throughout the arid zone of Australia. However, 
recognition of these objects in most terrains is 
hampered by local physiography (e.g., sand dunes) 
and naturally dark, or 'rusty-looking' country 
rocks. 
Three main groups of meteorites are recognised, 
determined by the relative amounts of metallic 
nickel-iron and ferro-magnesian silicates they 
contain. Irons are composed almost entirely of 
metal; stoics are made predominantly of silicates 
(olivine, pyroxene and feldspar) similar to those 
occurring in terrestrial basalts, but may also 
contain appreciable amounts of metal; and stony- 
irons are mixtures of metal and silicates in roughly 
equal proportions. Stony meteorites are the most 
common, accounting for more than 95% of those 
seen to fall, whereas irons and stony-irons are rare, 
accounting for around 4% and 1% of meteorites 
seen to fall, respectively. In terms of collections, 
however, irons are often over-represented. For 
