118:
106:
251:
162:... the opossum trapped by the wandering shepherd for amusement, as he follows his flock along by the woodside, furnish the material for a blanket of the most luxurious, furry softness. Sixty-three of these skins are the stated complement for one blanket or cloak; when made it is large enough doubled to envelope a tall man completely beyond head and feet. As a bed and blanket in one, there is, I suppose, nothing on earth that surpasses it, whilst as a protection against a day's rain it is as efficacious as a roof of a house.
181:
241:
As
Aboriginal people were dispossessed of their land, the making and wearing of cloaks became rarer. In addition, white missionaries and others were very efficient in the distribution of clothing and blankets to Aboriginal communities which, over a few generations, caused the tradition of possum skin
157:
The warm and weather-proof possum skin cloaks were also recognised and appreciated by
European settlers in the outback, where they became a highly regarded personal item. Alexander Harris describes one as follows from his personal knowledge in the early 1830s:
166:
They are also reasonably common in accounts of the gold rush period of the mid-19th century, but gradually became rarities, and restricted to observations of
Aboriginal people encountered on the margins of white settlement.
92:
As well as being a significant means of keeping warm in this often chilly part of
Australia, there was much importance around the making of the cloaks and their wearing. They were handed down through generations as
22:
153:
made of the skins of o'possums which were very neatly sewn together and the outside of the skins were carved in a remarkably neat manner. They appear to be very inoffensive and cleanly in their persons.
806:
922:
628:
513:
1211:
97:. As with most Australian Aboriginal belongings, there were many uses for the one thing – the cloaks were also used as blankets, mattresses and to wrap babies.
600:
894:
849:
1402:
864:
952:
942:
1298:
902:
633:
545:
454:
Harris, Alexander. The secrets of
Alexander Harris: a frank autobiography by the author of Settlers and Convicts, Angus + Robertson, Sydney (1961)
796:
618:
493:
117:
1439:
300:, by Amanda Reynolds, Debra Couzens, Vicki Couzens, Lee Darroch and Treahna Hamm, tells the story of some south-eastern Aboriginal people, two
1199:
927:
1369:
766:
643:
1325:
478:
1434:
1246:
1034:
1019:
638:
575:
503:
937:
844:
580:
428:
1444:
1397:
1053:
562:
498:
1511:
1490:
1381:
1337:
957:
756:
623:
1174:
691:
483:
508:
1536:
648:
370:
1189:
869:
538:
494:
John So, Lord Mayor of
Melbourne in a traditional Wurundjeri possum-skin cloak (Jiawei Shen, 2005 Archibald Prize Finalist)
1417:
1236:
1156:
917:
781:
202:
514:
Ancient
Traditions, New Stories: Reviving the Aboriginal Possum Skin Cloak, Aviva Shen, Smithsonian.com, June 27, 2012
1303:
1136:
1106:
701:
439:
348:
250:
228:
210:
105:
1473:
1407:
1096:
986:
932:
736:
681:
1255:
1164:
816:
666:
610:
531:
1531:
1483:
1467:
1412:
884:
206:
1221:
488:
1194:
912:
829:
776:
726:
658:
499:
Culture
Victoria: a series of video interviews and portraits of Elders in Victoria wearing possum skin cloaks
85:, and often decorated with significant incisions on the inside such as clan insignias. They were rubbed with
972:
266:
1449:
1288:
1179:
1024:
962:
947:
834:
719:
706:
1271:
907:
859:
714:
489:
National
Gallery of Victoria exhibition, including a large painting of Wurundjeri in possum-skin cloaks
130:
265:'s collection. One, which dates from 1853, is made from 83 possum skins. There are also cloaks at the
1516:
1427:
1422:
1231:
1126:
839:
142:
479:
Reproduction of a possum skin cloak collected in 1872 from Lake Condah, National Museum of
Australia
1342:
1261:
967:
336:
191:
1376:
1313:
1308:
1146:
1091:
590:
195:
1320:
1009:
570:
554:
37:
371:"ISX Forums: Indigenous Business focusing on Arts and Culture: Wrapped in a Possum Skin Cloak"
1478:
1348:
1283:
1029:
879:
595:
585:
121:
A group of Aboriginal men in possum skin cloaks and blankets in 1858 at Penshurst in Victoria
110:
1004:
518:
396:
21:
8:
854:
761:
523:
421:
41:
1454:
1364:
1293:
1278:
1101:
1014:
977:
305:
1526:
1086:
1039:
874:
671:
435:
344:
126:
53:
341:
Blood on the Wattle: Massacres and maltreatment of Aboriginal Australians since 1788
1521:
824:
786:
458:
150:
72:
65:
308:
women, who set out in 1999 to relearn the lost craft of possum-skin cloak-making.
1204:
432:
374:
262:
49:
45:
1459:
1354:
1226:
1131:
286:
1505:
1169:
1081:
746:
686:
255:
1541:
1359:
1266:
1216:
1121:
996:
696:
397:"Krowathunkooloong, Brabawooloong Country, The Keeping Place (Bairnsdale)"
1076:
751:
301:
278:
26:
1184:
1071:
1066:
741:
731:
676:
317:
282:
57:
1330:
1061:
285:
in regional Victoria, also has possum skin cloaks on display; in the
138:
343:, New Holland Publishers (Australia) Pty Ltd, Frenchs Forest, 1988,
180:
801:
791:
270:
79:
463:
94:
16:
Clothing worn by Aboriginal people in the south-east of Australia
134:
1141:
1111:
86:
82:
771:
553:
254:
Figures in possum-skin cloaks, 1898 by Aboriginal artist
75:
61:
519:
Smithsonian NMNH Department of Anthropology possum cloak
129:, after inspecting the recently forged road across the
403:. Gippsland and East Gippsland Aboriginal Co-operative
504:
Making an Aboriginal possum skin cloak, ABC Newcastle
509:
Cloaking the Aboriginal Past, NY Times, June 5, 2012
953:Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations
1503:
273:, as well as four in overseas collections. The
1440:Northern Territory National Emergency Response
943:National Congress of Australia's First Peoples
928:Australian Aboriginal Progressive Association
539:
40:in the south-east of Australia – present-day
995:
113:with war implements (c. 1883) by Fred Kruger
389:
245:
209:. Unsourced material may be challenged and
89:and fat to both decorate and protect them.
1035:South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council
1020:Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council
546:
532:
137:, wrote about meeting some members of the
229:Learn how and when to remove this message
249:
116:
104:
20:
757:National Indigenous Human Rights Awards
629:People from politics and public service
1504:
555:Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders
25:Sewn and incised possum-skin cloak of
527:
737:Literature of Indigenous Australians
426:, National Museum of Australia, 2005
207:adding citations to reliable sources
174:
71:The cloaks were made from numerous
13:
918:Aborigines Progressive Association
448:
14:
1553:
472:
170:
179:
36:were a form of clothing worn by
1256:Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1976
275:Krowathunkooloong Keeping Place
1512:Australian Aboriginal clothing
1468:Uluru Statement from the Heart
885:Torres Strait Island languages
424:Wrapped in a Possum Skin Cloak
415:
401:Bataluk Cultural Trail website
363:
354:
330:
298:Wrapped in a Possum Skin Cloak
261:Two possum-skin cloaks are in
1:
933:Australian Aborigines' League
913:Aborigines Advancement League
830:Australian Aboriginal English
323:
60:was worn. They are made from
1537:History of Oceanian clothing
973:National Reconciliation Week
267:National Museum of Australia
7:
1025:NSW Aboriginal Land Council
963:Registered Aboriginal Party
948:National Indigenous Council
835:Macro-Gunwinyguan languages
311:
149:They were all clothed with
10:
1558:
1403:Constitutional recognition
1272:Hawkesbury and Nepean Wars
908:Aboriginal Medical Service
100:
1390:
1245:
1155:
1052:
893:
815:
797:Traditional custodianship
657:
609:
561:
242:cloak making to die out.
29:origin (Melbourne Museum)
1262:Australian Frontier Wars
968:Reconciliation Australia
246:Possum skin cloaks today
1314:Australian history wars
1175:Contemporary visual art
591:Torres Strait Islanders
484:National Quilt Register
422:Reynolds, Amanda Jane,
1010:Kimberley Land Council
860:Pama–Nyungan languages
850:Loanwords into English
767:Religion and mythology
720:Torres Strait Islander
571:Aboriginal Australians
360:Harris 1961 pp. 129-30
258:
164:
155:
125:In the 1800s Governor
122:
114:
30:
1532:Australian inventions
1349:Native Title Act 1993
1284:Cummeragunja walk-off
1030:Northern Land Council
880:Torres Strait English
807:Torres Strait Islands
253:
160:
147:
120:
108:
24:
1005:Central Land Council
203:improve this section
762:Outstation movement
601:Western Australians
459:"Possum skin cloak"
78:sewn together with
1455:Stolen Generations
1445:Self-determination
1365:Stolen Generations
1299:Historical figures
1279:Caledon Bay crisis
1102:Fire-stick farming
1015:Maralinga Tjarutja
634:Performing artists
431:2011-02-25 at the
377:on 21 October 2009
277:, a museum of the
259:
123:
115:
109:Aboriginal men in
34:Possum-skin cloaks
31:
1499:
1498:
1382:Western Australia
1117:Possum-skin cloak
1048:
1047:
1040:Tiwi Land Council
875:Taboo on the dead
840:Australian Creole
581:Aboriginal groups
289:they were called
239:
238:
231:
127:Lachlan Macquarie
54:Western Australia
38:Aboriginal people
1549:
1517:Robes and cloaks
993:
992:
825:Avoidance speech
787:Smoking ceremony
548:
541:
534:
525:
524:
468:
442:
419:
413:
412:
410:
408:
393:
387:
386:
384:
382:
373:. Archived from
367:
361:
358:
352:
334:
234:
227:
223:
220:
214:
183:
175:
1557:
1556:
1552:
1551:
1550:
1548:
1547:
1546:
1502:
1501:
1500:
1495:
1435:Media portrayal
1398:1967 Referendum
1386:
1294:Gurindji Strike
1289:Day of Mourning
1241:
1151:
1044:
991:
889:
845:Language groups
811:
653:
605:
557:
552:
475:
457:
451:
449:Further reading
446:
445:
433:Wayback Machine
420:
416:
406:
404:
395:
394:
390:
380:
378:
369:
368:
364:
359:
355:
335:
331:
326:
314:
296:A recent book,
263:Museum Victoria
248:
235:
224:
218:
215:
200:
184:
173:
103:
50:New South Wales
46:South Australia
17:
12:
11:
5:
1555:
1545:
1544:
1539:
1534:
1529:
1524:
1519:
1514:
1497:
1496:
1494:
1493:
1488:
1487:
1486:
1481:
1476:
1464:
1463:
1462:
1460:Half-Caste Act
1452:
1450:Reconciliation
1447:
1442:
1437:
1432:
1431:
1430:
1428:Protected Area
1425:
1415:
1410:
1405:
1400:
1394:
1392:
1388:
1387:
1385:
1384:
1379:
1374:
1373:
1372:
1362:
1357:
1355:Pilbara strike
1352:
1345:
1340:
1335:
1334:
1333:
1323:
1318:
1317:
1316:
1311:
1301:
1296:
1291:
1286:
1281:
1276:
1275:
1274:
1269:
1259:
1251:
1249:
1243:
1242:
1240:
1239:
1234:
1229:
1224:
1219:
1214:
1209:
1208:
1207:
1202:
1192:
1187:
1182:
1177:
1172:
1167:
1161:
1159:
1153:
1152:
1150:
1149:
1144:
1139:
1134:
1132:Spinifex resin
1129:
1124:
1119:
1114:
1109:
1104:
1099:
1094:
1089:
1084:
1079:
1074:
1069:
1064:
1058:
1056:
1050:
1049:
1046:
1045:
1043:
1042:
1037:
1032:
1027:
1022:
1017:
1012:
1007:
1001:
999:
990:
989:
983:
982:
981:
980:
975:
965:
960:
955:
950:
945:
940:
935:
930:
925:
920:
915:
910:
905:
899:
897:
891:
890:
888:
887:
882:
877:
872:
870:Sign languages
867:
862:
857:
852:
847:
842:
837:
832:
827:
821:
819:
813:
812:
810:
809:
804:
799:
794:
789:
784:
779:
774:
769:
764:
759:
754:
749:
744:
739:
734:
729:
724:
723:
722:
717:
709:
704:
699:
694:
689:
684:
679:
674:
669:
663:
661:
655:
654:
652:
651:
646:
644:Visual artists
641:
636:
631:
626:
621:
615:
613:
607:
606:
604:
603:
598:
593:
588:
583:
578:
573:
567:
565:
559:
558:
551:
550:
543:
536:
528:
522:
521:
516:
511:
506:
501:
496:
491:
486:
481:
474:
473:External links
471:
470:
469:
467:. 9 July 2022.
455:
450:
447:
444:
443:
414:
388:
362:
353:
328:
327:
325:
322:
321:
320:
313:
310:
304:women and two
287:Gunai language
247:
244:
237:
236:
187:
185:
178:
172:
171:Decline in use
169:
131:Blue Mountains
102:
99:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1554:
1543:
1540:
1538:
1535:
1533:
1530:
1528:
1525:
1523:
1520:
1518:
1515:
1513:
1510:
1509:
1507:
1492:
1491:Voting rights
1489:
1485:
1482:
1480:
1477:
1475:
1472:
1471:
1470:
1469:
1465:
1461:
1458:
1457:
1456:
1453:
1451:
1448:
1446:
1443:
1441:
1438:
1436:
1433:
1429:
1426:
1424:
1421:
1420:
1419:
1416:
1414:
1411:
1409:
1406:
1404:
1401:
1399:
1396:
1395:
1393:
1389:
1383:
1380:
1378:
1375:
1371:
1368:
1367:
1366:
1363:
1361:
1358:
1356:
1353:
1351:
1350:
1346:
1344:
1343:Native police
1341:
1339:
1336:
1332:
1329:
1328:
1327:
1324:
1322:
1319:
1315:
1312:
1310:
1307:
1306:
1305:
1302:
1300:
1297:
1295:
1292:
1290:
1287:
1285:
1282:
1280:
1277:
1273:
1270:
1268:
1265:
1264:
1263:
1260:
1258:
1257:
1253:
1252:
1250:
1248:
1244:
1238:
1235:
1233:
1230:
1228:
1225:
1223:
1220:
1218:
1215:
1213:
1210:
1206:
1203:
1201:
1198:
1197:
1196:
1193:
1191:
1188:
1186:
1183:
1181:
1178:
1176:
1173:
1171:
1170:Bark painting
1168:
1166:
1163:
1162:
1160:
1158:
1154:
1148:
1145:
1143:
1140:
1138:
1135:
1133:
1130:
1128:
1125:
1123:
1120:
1118:
1115:
1113:
1110:
1108:
1105:
1103:
1100:
1098:
1095:
1093:
1090:
1088:
1085:
1083:
1082:Bush medicine
1080:
1078:
1075:
1073:
1070:
1068:
1065:
1063:
1060:
1059:
1057:
1055:
1051:
1041:
1038:
1036:
1033:
1031:
1028:
1026:
1023:
1021:
1018:
1016:
1013:
1011:
1008:
1006:
1003:
1002:
1000:
998:
997:Land councils
994:
988:
985:
984:
979:
976:
974:
971:
970:
969:
966:
964:
961:
959:
956:
954:
951:
949:
946:
944:
941:
939:
936:
934:
931:
929:
926:
924:
921:
919:
916:
914:
911:
909:
906:
904:
901:
900:
898:
896:
895:Organisations
892:
886:
883:
881:
878:
876:
873:
871:
868:
866:
863:
861:
858:
856:
853:
851:
848:
846:
843:
841:
838:
836:
833:
831:
828:
826:
823:
822:
820:
818:
814:
808:
805:
803:
800:
798:
795:
793:
790:
788:
785:
783:
780:
778:
775:
773:
770:
768:
765:
763:
760:
758:
755:
753:
750:
748:
747:Message stick
745:
743:
740:
738:
735:
733:
730:
728:
725:
721:
718:
716:
713:
712:
710:
708:
705:
703:
700:
698:
695:
693:
690:
688:
687:Deadly Awards
685:
683:
680:
678:
675:
673:
670:
668:
665:
664:
662:
660:
656:
650:
647:
645:
642:
640:
637:
635:
632:
630:
627:
625:
622:
620:
617:
616:
614:
612:
608:
602:
599:
597:
594:
592:
589:
587:
584:
582:
579:
577:
574:
572:
569:
568:
566:
564:
560:
556:
549:
544:
542:
537:
535:
530:
529:
526:
520:
517:
515:
512:
510:
507:
505:
502:
500:
497:
495:
492:
490:
487:
485:
482:
480:
477:
476:
466:
465:
460:
456:
453:
452:
441:
440:1-876944-36-6
437:
434:
430:
427:
425:
418:
402:
398:
392:
376:
372:
366:
357:
350:
349:1-86436-410-6
346:
342:
338:
333:
329:
319:
316:
315:
309:
307:
303:
299:
294:
292:
288:
284:
280:
276:
272:
268:
264:
257:
256:William Barak
252:
243:
233:
230:
222:
212:
208:
204:
198:
197:
193:
188:This section
186:
182:
177:
176:
168:
163:
159:
154:
152:
146:
144:
140:
136:
132:
128:
119:
112:
107:
98:
96:
90:
88:
84:
81:
77:
74:
69:
67:
63:
59:
55:
51:
47:
43:
39:
35:
28:
23:
19:
1466:
1423:Native title
1377:Tent embassy
1360:Pintupi Nine
1347:
1267:Bathurst War
1254:
1237:Yininmadyemi
1222:Sandpainting
1217:Papunya Tula
1212:NATSIA Award
1200:Music groups
1122:Scarred tree
1116:
1092:Dugout canoe
782:Sacred sites
697:The Dreaming
639:Sportspeople
462:
423:
417:
405:. Retrieved
400:
391:
379:. Retrieved
375:the original
365:
356:
340:
337:Elder, Bruce
332:
297:
295:
290:
274:
260:
240:
225:
216:
201:Please help
189:
165:
161:
156:
148:
124:
91:
70:
33:
32:
18:
1418:Land rights
1321:King plates
1137:Sweet foods
1107:Food groups
1077:Bush tucker
817:Language(s)
752:NAIDOC Week
702:Enumeration
611:Individuals
576:Communities
407:27 February
381:30 November
306:Yorta Yorta
302:Gunditjmara
291:batha maruk
279:Gunaikurnai
64:of various
27:Gunditjmara
1506:Categories
1309:Prehistory
1232:Visual art
1185:Didgeridoo
1097:Fibrecraft
1072:Bush bread
938:Mass media
865:Placenames
742:Marn Grook
732:Kurdaitcha
715:Aboriginal
677:Corroboree
596:Victorians
586:Tasmanians
324:References
318:Buka cloak
283:Bairnsdale
281:nation in
68:species.
58:Buka cloak
1331:Black War
1326:Massacres
1165:Artefacts
1062:Boomerang
1054:Bushcraft
978:Sorry Day
792:Songlines
667:Astronomy
624:Musicians
619:Activists
219:June 2024
190:does not
139:Wiradjuri
95:heirlooms
1527:Quilting
1338:Missions
1190:Dreaming
1087:Coolamon
958:Politics
802:Tjurunga
429:Archived
312:See also
271:Canberra
143:Bathurst
133:west of
111:Victoria
80:kangaroo
42:Victoria
1522:Bedding
1370:Apology
1304:History
1247:History
1147:Woomera
923:AIATSIS
777:Seasons
727:Kinship
692:Deities
682:Country
659:Culture
649:Writers
563:Peoples
464:AIATSIS
211:removed
196:sources
151:Mantles
141:at the
101:History
1474:Treaty
1413:Health
1391:Issues
855:Palawa
711:Flags
707:Elders
438:
347:
145:camp:
135:Sydney
73:possum
66:possum
1484:Voice
1479:Truth
1408:Crime
1195:Music
1180:Dance
1142:Waddy
1127:Soaks
1112:Humpy
903:ATSIC
87:ochre
83:sinew
76:pelts
62:pelts
52:. In
1227:Vibe
1205:Rock
1157:Arts
1067:Buka
987:TSRA
772:Riji
672:Bora
436:ISBN
409:2013
383:2006
351:p 51
345:ISBN
194:any
192:cite
48:and
1542:Fur
269:in
205:by
1508::
461:.
399:.
339:,
293:.
56:,
44:,
547:e
540:t
533:v
411:.
385:.
232:)
226:(
221:)
217:(
213:.
199:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
.gif)
_by_Fred_Kruger.jpg)
