Yes, Aboriginal people - at least down here in SA, an insignificant state - had a name for every star. Brilliant astrologers, they may have even been able to tell the difference between a planet and a star. Their Dreaming stories go into detail about how the universe was formed, expressed in different ways in different parts of Australia, of course.

Anyway, about pre-Invasion population: while the diminution of food resources would have kicked in early on in droughts, forcing people to move quickly, this may not have been the usual factor in limiting Aboriginal population: technology would have been much more relevant. With spears and clubs, and the need to get close to larger animals, the products of hunting may have focussed more on small, dopey little animals like bettongs and bandicoots rather than old man kangaroos. So hunting may not have been very efficient.

Gathering would have been limited too, to the amount women could carry, along with their kids, tools and maybe grind-stones. The wheel (plus axle and cart) would have revolutionised mobility and carrying power or women across the country. If they had had pottery too, they could have taken water out much further from water sources and foraged over far greater areas - not to mention an easier way to transport children and equipment. Strange that nowadays, some Aboriginal people can't see how their ancestors might have benefited from wheeled carts. Of course, without domesticable cart-animals, the women would have had to pull them, the men would have been too busy hunting and conferring over important sacred matters.

Whatever grain or grass-seed plants were gathered by Aboriginal women, I wonder if the CSIRO or farmers have done any work in plant husbandry, trying to improve the yields. If they could modify , say, kangaroo grass to put some nutrient into it, that could revolutionise production across vast areas of Australia where it grows naturally. All over the continent, Aboriginal people could then return to their agricultural roots ? Truly-ruly.

Joe

Issy, there is not much future in this debate about Astrology. The Moon just fell out of the sky, and things are looking a bit howdy-dowdy in astrological terms, even for the Indians. How did the Indians get into this debate!

@IsMise,

Yes, Vedic astrology does still do quite a bit of predictive. But I thought we were talking about astrology in the Western world. I did not realise you were Indian.

Western astrology is not Vedic, is different to Vedic and does not predict like Vedic.

You have yet again demonstrated your ignorance and prejudice. Keep up the good work.

@Loudmouth,

Naming stars and planets is not astrology. Astrology is finding meaning and purpose in the placement of stars and planets which is a rather more sophisticated exercise.

All primitive peoples observes the night sky and told stories and myths about what they saw. Not all of them developed astrology.

Which Aboriginal tribes named planetary configurations etc., and who recorded that information? It must have been done by Europeans since they were not literate.

I have read a lot of Aboriginal myths and legends, variations on the same themes as all human groups, but would be interested to read anything written down about star-gazing.

rhoss,

We were talking about astrology and I'm not Indian, 'though I spend a lot of time in India.

I believe that prominent Western astrologers predicted that Trump would not be elected.
Predictive astrology is alive and well in the West, look in any newspaper or popular woman's magazine.
Astrologers are rife.

Hi Paul,

You might get a few pointers out of this:

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/209418403

Cheers,

Joe