  The traditional cultures of Aboriginal Australians include a significant
astronomical component, perpetuated through oral tradition, ceremony, and art.
This astronomical knowledge includes a deep understanding of the motion of
objects in the sky, which was used for practical purposes such as constructing
calendars and for navigation. There is also evidence that traditional
Aboriginal Australians made careful records and measurements of cyclical
phenomena, recorded unexpected phenomena such as eclipses and meteorite
impacts, and could determine the cardinal points to an accuracy of a few
degrees. Putative explanations of celestial phenomena appear throughout the
oral record, suggesting traditional Aborig- inal Australians sought to
understand the natural world around them, in the same way as modern scientists,
but within their own cultural context. There is also a growing body of evidence
for sophisticated navigational skills, including the use of astronomically
based songlines. Songlines are effectively oral maps of the landscape, and are
an efficient way of transmitting oral navigational skills in cultures that do
not have a written language. The study of Aboriginal astronomy has had an
impact extending beyond mere academic curiosity, facilitating cross-cultural
understanding, demonstrating the intimate links between science and culture,
and helping students to engage with science.
