Summary

The Nawu people of Port Lincoln, South Australia used this fish hook, made from a bivalve shell. To make the hook the edges of the shell were first chipped away until the shell was roughly circular in shape. A hole was made in its centre either by burning, drilling with a piece of quartz or chipping. This was carefully and gradually made larger by filing with a fishhook file or a piece of coral. A segment of the circle would be cut away to leave a crescent shape, which was rubbed on a stone until the desired shape and sharpness was obtained.
Fishing in the rivers and oceans is an important cultural activity practised by the Nawu and hundreds of other coastal and river communities across Australia. Men and women use various techniques including spearing, netting, traps and line and hooks to hunt the different marine and freshwater species living in their country, providing for a substantial part of the diet of coastal peoples.

Physical Description

Fish hook made of margin of a bivalve shell with short string of sinew attached.

Significance

Port Lincoln is approximately 750km north-west of Adelaide and is a world-famous area for its abundance of marine life and aquaculture industries.
Fishing, hunting and the maintenance of maritime cultures is an important part of contemporary life for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander coastal communities. Marine resources are used today to put fresh food on the table and to supplement other sources of income, as well as being a way of continuing a way of life and culture that has existed for many thousands of generations. Customary practices of hunting, fishing and harvesting in Indigenous communities contributes to income and health and, most importantly, ensures cultural continuity and resilience.

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