From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Indigenous Australians had distinct ways of dividing the year up. Due to their close reliance upon, and relationship with, nature they were traditionally acutely aware of seasonal variations. Naming and understanding of seasons differed between groups, and depending on where in Australia the group lived. Below are a few examples of different groups and their seasons.

The Yolngu, Indigenous Australians of North-East Arnhem Land, identify six seasons. Europeans currently living in the Top End identify two— the Wet and the Dry. (Arguably, the build-up period between dry and wet is coming to be identified as a distinct third season.) The six Yolngu seasons, and their characteristics, are:

Season	Period	Characteristics	Activities
Mirdawarr	Late March and April	End of wet season with scattered showers. Wind in south-east quarter but air still hot & humid. Vegetable foods becoming plentiful. Fish numerous.	People generally sedentary & living in big camps. Nomadic movement restricted by floodwaters. Long rank grass & mosquitoes. Macassar traders used to depart at this time with south-east winds. Goose-hunting expeditions into swamps. Fishing, especially large-scale communal fishing operations and drives where floodwaters receding; including basket traps in weirs, nets and the gurl in use only in the valley of the Glyde River.
Dhaarratharramirri	Late April to August	South-east or dry season. Wind in east and south-east	People nomadic; big wet-season camps breaking up. Systematic burning of all extensive grassed areas, communal drives for kangaroo, bandicoots, 'goanna'. Fishing still important, with nets, grass barriers, in shallow waters on plains & salt pans. August to November (inclusive) is the most important period for ceremonial activities.
Rarranhdharr	September and October	Hot dry season. Hot periods towards close of dry (south-east) season. Wind chiefly north-east, lightning frequent and first hunder third. Stringy bark in flower.	Nomadic activities lessen after burning of grass. Poisoning of fish in waters now concentrated by evaporation. Fish spearing continues in estuarine & coastal waters. Important ceremonial time.
Worlmamirri	Late October, November and December	The 'nose of the wet season', with or bringing thunder - late October. Period of maximum heat and humidity immediately before the rain season, characterised by violent thunder storms of increasing frequency.	Nomadic activities much restricted. People generally in camps near permanent water.
Baarramirri	Late December and January	Short season with wind in north-west; breaking of the wet. Also called munydjutjmirri from the fruit of munydjutj. Two kinds of north-west wind recognised: (i) Baarra yindi, the big, or gurrkamirri (male), baarra; (ii) Baarra nyukukurniny, the small, or dhuykun (female), baarra. The first refers to the more boisterous north-west gales, the second to the gentler breezes from the north-west.	Macassar fleets used to arrive with north-west winds (baarra) and disperse to regular sites for trepang fishing. People conentrated in wet season camps leading almost sedentary life. Inland travel restricted by floods and dense growth of rank grass.
Gurnmul or Waltjarnmirri	January, February and March	Wet season proper. Two phases, the first, girritjarra is again subdivided into three.	People concentrated in camps. Inland travel restricted by floods.

The Anangu Pitjantjatjara of northern South Australia and the southern part of the Northern Territory, live in Central Australia. Where white people name four seasons here, they name more. Examples of some of their seasons include.

Season	Period	Characteristics
Wanitjunkupai	April, May	The beginning of the cold weather. Reptiles hibernate. (Wanitjunkupai literally means "hibernate"). Tjuntalpa (clouds) start around April but usually don't bring rain. They come from the south, brought mainly by westerly winds, and sit low over the hills till late in the day.
Wari	Late May, June, July	The cold time when there is nyinnga (frost) and kulyakulyarpa (mist or dew) every morning, but little rain.
Piriyakutu/ Piriya-Piriya	begins around August, September	This is when the priya comes – a warm steady wind from the north and west. Animals breed. Food plants flower, fruit and seed. Hibernating reptiles come out and the honey grevillea is in blood. A good time for hunting malu (kangaroo).
Mai Wiyaringkupai / Kuli	around December	Not much food around at this time. Hottest season. Ngangkali (storm clouds) and wangangara (lightning), but little rain. Lighting strikes can start fires.
Itjanu / Inuntjji	January, February, March	Utuwari (overcast clouds) usually bring rain. Food plants flower. If rains are good there is plenty of fruit and seed.

Noongar seasons

• Thomson, D., & Peterson, N., 1983, Donald Thomson in Arnhem Land, Miegunyah Press, Melbourne. Revised ed. publ. 2003, ISBN 0-522-85063-4, pp172-3.
• Uluru—Kata Tjuta National Park Visitor guide, Welcome to Aboriginal land, Colemans Printing, Darwin, January 2006, pp24-25.