Aboriginal Toys - Bush Toys A Living History

This collection at Tandanya in Grenfell Street in the city again confirms the ingenuity of the bush. Out in the Eastern Arrente Communities of Central and Northern Australia, the men and boys have learned to make do when it comes to their toys. This exhibition offers a whimsical insight into the he passions and past times of those who live and work at the Santa Teresa, Maryvale and Alcoota Stations. ìThe toys have all come from three Eastern Arrente Communities in the Northern Territory. ìThe toys were produced by Arrente men and boys in the three communities and most of the men have been involved in the pastoral industry.î Not surprisingly in the desert communities, whitefella toys from the big city stores are hard to find, so the children make their own. ìTheyíve drawn on materials salvaged from TVs and what have you and you find wire and materials from swags and buttons and pretty much everything they could lay their hands on.î ìWell they seem to have cornered the market of copper wire?î ìYes thereís quite a lot of copper wire and wire from various places I just hope the fences arenít falling down all over the place.î

These bush toys highlight the major role Aboriginal people have played in the pastoral industry as drovers, saddlers, station hands and cooks contributing valuable knowledge of the land and at the same time staying close to their traditional country. And it also underlines how the pastoral industry has changed. ìAnd the same goes for the cattle industry in the Northern Territory theyíd be more likely to use helicopters for example than large teams of drovers.î ìHave a lot of the techniques used in making the toys been handed down from father to son etc?î ìI think so, I think there are a couple of generations involved in the exhibition as I said some older men from the age of sixty and the oldest boy was ten so weíre probably looking at grandfathers to sons and to grandchildren.î Out in these communities the ten gallon hat is standard apparel and the western motif is big. Bush Toys A Living History is on show at Tandanya until next Sunday. Admission is $4 for adults $3 concession and $10 per family. Tandanya is open seven days a week from 10am to 5pm.

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