Colonial settlers brought with them to Australia the concept of four distinct seasons. While this works for much of southern Australia, non-Indigenous people in the other parts of Australia identify seasonal change as wet and dry.

Indigenous communities have age-old seasonal calendars. For example, the Bininj/Mungguy people of Kakadu identify six seasons:

  1. gudjewg: monsoonal
  2. banggerreng: stormy
  3. yegge: cool
  4. wurrgeng: cold
  5. gurrung: hot and dry
  6. gunumeleng: hot and humid

The Australian Bureau of Meteorology hosts an Indigenous knowledge webpage where you can discover the seasonal calendars of other communities.

Activities

A Diverse Climate

Investigate seasonal calendars with your class. Do the four ‘European’ seasons describe your local weather well enough? What circumstances might require a different approach?

Connect with local Indigenous community Elders and invite them to share their knowledge about the weather where you live.