Aboriginality of Australia Photo Gallery by Sheila Smart at pbase.com

Aboriginality of Australia

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The aboriginal people have been in Australia for the past 45,000 years plus. Here is my tribute to a very hardy race of folk who in 1967 (and long overdue) were recognised by the Australian Government. Music and art play an important part of aboriginal culture. The Labor Rudd Government apologised to the Stolen Generation in 2007, one of the first things they did after gaining government. The images here are of aborigines living in Sydney. Uanuthorised use of these images will be vigorously pursued by legal means. All images are available in both colour or monochrome.

Warning to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island viewers: The following contains images of people who are deceased. No disrespect intended nor meant.

Please email me re pricing for editorial or commercial use. Please email me re pricing for editorial or commercial use.
Up to A2 size prints on high gloss or lustre paper (420 x 594mm or 16.5in x 23.4 in) available to Australian customers from mid October br> PLEASE NOTE THAT NONE OF THESE IMAGES ARE 'FREE'
All images ©Sheila Smart - 2018

Man on crate reading	Cedric, aboriginal busker	Aboriginal painter, Ray Nama Walker	Australian aboriginal dot painting	Aboriginal didgeridoo player
Alan Dargin, aboriginal didgeridoo player	Cedric, aboriginal busker 27 08 08	Aboriginal busker with clapsticks	Aboriginal clapsticks	Aboriginal busker
Cedric, aboriginal performer	Aboriginal man at Quay	Cedric	Russell Dawson, didge player extraordinaire	Aborigine at Quay
Aboriginal man at Quay	Russell Dawson, aboriginal didge player	Aboriginal busker with mike	Portrait of Cedric	Turtle - aboriginal didge player
Cedric, aboriginal street performer	Close up of Australian aborigine - 5/02/2012	Aboriginal busker legs and female leg	Backlit aboriginal busker with clapsticks	Australian flag over Sydney Harbour with "Sorry" skywriting
Aboriginal boy busker with didge	Aboriginal artist and painter, Peter Birch	Norman, aboriginal busker	Aboriginal flag	Mudda Mudda
Mudda Mudda close up	Wayne, aboriginal didgeridoo player	Mudda Mudda	Sonda Turner Nampitjinpa close up in monochrome	Mudda Mudda
Aboriginal buskers and tourists	Mudda Mudda, portrait of an Australian aborigine	Max, aboriginal elder	Terry, aboriginal didge player	Aboriginal dancer with shadow
Aboriginal art	Shadow of aboriginal dancer	Aboriginal busker on didge	Wayne, didgeridoo player 27 03 2008	Max, aboriginal elder
Aboriginal dancer	Female aboriginal dancer with boomerang	Aboriginal female dancer with boomerang	Aboriginal flag with eastern grey kangaroo cutout	Aboriginal artist in hat
Aboriginal busker in flag	Silhouette of didgeridoo player	Aboriginal lady with cigarette mono	Woman doing crossword at Quay	Aboriginal busker arm
Aboriginal boy	Man at Circular Quay, Sydney	Young aboriginal busker	Aboriginal hand	Alice
Aboriginal child with didgeridoo	Cedric triptych	A pensive Cedric	Sorry in skywriting over Opera House	Wayne, a portrait
Reuben, Aboriginal dancer	Reuben, aboriginal dancer	Cedric, portrait of an Australian aborigine	Aboriginal didge player	Young aboriginal dancer
Wayne, aboriginal didgeridoo player	Rodney, aboriginal busker	Dancer acting as kangaroo	Aboriginal boy dancer	Busker with clapsticks
Aboriginal busker at Quay	Profile of Australian aboriginal busker	Les: aboriginal didgeridoo player	Sonda Turner Nampitjinpa	Sonda Turner Nampitjinpa
Aboriginal woman	Aboriginal busker in Blues hat	Cedric - portrait of an aborigine	Cedric signing CD	Little aboriginal girl with phone
Cedric - aboriginal busker	Cedric, portrait of a busker on clapsticks	Cedric - portrait of a busker	Cedric in mono	Freddy the busker
Max and tourist	Aboriginal lady	Max, aboriginal elder	Didgeridoo player	Alan Dargin
Didgeridoo player	Alan Dargin	Deep in thought	Aboriginal woman at Quay	Young aboriginal woman
A candid portrait	Aboriginal boy profile	Shells	Aboriginal young man	Aboriginal dancer with flag
Aboriginal Dancer	Aboriginal Dancer	Aboriginal man at Quay	Aboriginal dancer	Dancer
Close up of aboriginal man	Aborigine with great hair	Friend of Russell	Little aboriginal girl	Aboriginal singer
Painting by Peter Birch, aboriginal artist	Pretty aboriginal girl	Painting by Peter Birch	George with sunnies	Aboriginal mum with daughter
Russell Dawson, aboriginal performer	Aboriginal with beard	Two singers - two cultures	Dancer	Pensive girl
Busker	Busker singing	Aboriginal lady busker	Aboriginal man at Manly	Aboriginal boy in deep thought
Rodney Weatherall - 1965-2004	Close up of Alice	Aboriginal didgeplayer - nice smile!	Silhouette of busker with didge	Rodney Weatherall - 1965-2004 - Rest in peace
Rodney - RIP - 1965-2004	Busker	Aboriginal boy busker	Aboriginal girl starting to dance	Aboriginal girl with swirling hair
Aboriginal dancing child	Didgeridoo	Silhouette of didgeridoo player	Aboriginal flag with didgeridoo busker in silhouette	Aboriginal lady with girl on phone
Lady with clapstick	Busker	Aboriginal girl	Russell Dawson, didge player	Russell Dawson, didge player
George, dancer and didge player	Aboriginal painter	Two cultures	Dancer	George
Dance group	Russell Group with Morton Bay fig	Aboriginal dancer	Aboriginal dancer

comment

Reflections by Ruth		11-Dec-2012 16:48
wonderful display of a very interesting culture

Alberto Montagna		10-Jul-2012 08:55
Great work. VV

Derec Owen		26-Jun-2012 14:09
Tremendous and strong gallery, some really amazing record of these wonderful people. Voted!!!

Guest		16-May-2012 10:29
Nice portfolio. Very vibrant lives!

Mangles Photography		05-Feb-2012 08:26
A great tribute , Fantastic images

Collish		31-Aug-2011 12:00
WOW! those pictures are soo perfect! I love them!

Roeleen		02-Aug-2011 19:12
lovely images!

joseantonio		22-Jul-2011 04:54
Excellent gallery with lovely images

Princess Maria Sviatopolk-Mirski		25-Apr-2011 16:01
I love the photos on this page. An Australian friend of mine sent me Russell James Dawson's Didgeridoo CD and I really enjoyed listening to it. I would also like to know how I can get in touch with Russell. I would be most grateful if you could find out how I can get in touch with him. I have been to Melbourne, which was a lovely experience. Princess Maria Sviatopolk-Mirski/London/UK

zonedout		16-Apr-2011 04:24
What a wonderful gallery of these amazing peoples. V V ...z

carol j. phipps		12-Feb-2011 20:48
Wonderful collection of images.

billabong Northern Territory		26-Jul-2010 08:12
I thank U so much 4 these magical clicks... hope U'll add some more

t.k.barua		20-Jun-2010 14:34
nice photographs.

Robert D. McAlpine		19-May-2010 22:46
What a fabulous and sensitive gallery. Your work is inspirational and monumental - congratulations and thanks.

atso		03-May-2010 06:22
impressed! rgds

Sharon		17-Mar-2010 04:50
Beautiful! Thank you.

adrian		11-Feb-2010 16:07
Finally I can see the real people of australia...what emotion. Wonderfull

mart senior		22-Nov-2009 00:20
a fantastic gallery ..big vote

mr gwyn jones		16-Sep-2009 21:33
Great pictures. I'm from Britain and been teaching High School Drama in Georgia, USA for the last six years. I was talking to my students about the aborigine. They had never heard of them or their plight . Will get them started on this site tomorrow. Thanks again.

Guest		13-Sep-2009 19:18
Thank you so much. I was able to show my 11 year old daughter what these interesting people look like. We have been studying them this week. Beautiful photos!

endre novak		03-Jul-2009 21:29
fantastic collection!

Alain		19-May-2009 21:10
you have made a great album, it helps so much. thanks alot

Russ		19-May-2009 03:42
It would be nice to see what more aussie aboriginal women look like.

Russ		19-May-2009 01:39
It would be nice to see what more aussie aboriginal women look like.

Rob		21-Mar-2009 23:31
What a great gallery.

Diane		17-Jan-2009 21:30
Your photos are beautiful. Thank you.

Guest		20-Dec-2008 18:01
Thank You very much this has helped me alot, There is no better place to find these aboriginal pictures

Judie		20-Dec-2008 05:09
This is the only was I get to see the Australian Aboriginals, on the internet. I live in Maryland in the U.S. These pictures are great. Thankyou

Natty		19-Dec-2008 13:38
Thanks a lot for such exciting pictures!!

LynnH		17-Nov-2008 02:42
Wonderful gallery. Love the portraits of Cedric most of all. Happy to vote!!

James Campbell		20-Sep-2008 23:51
Having lived in New Zealand and witnessed the growing recognition and appreciation of Mâori culture I was dismayed to find that Australia did not extend this same respect to Aborigine people. The paucity of images such as these on the internet are a reflection of this. My thanks to you Sheila for the work you do, especially in this stunning record of the first Australians.

kaka		20-Aug-2008 20:58
it was really interesting!!!!

sada		20-Aug-2008 20:57
nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiccccceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Guest		15-Jun-2008 05:09
Thank you so much for providing such wonderful photos. There is a definite shortage of really good photos and images of indigenous people and I am so happy to have found your site. Please keep up the good work

Sangeetha		17-May-2008 06:00
Your pictures are wonderful! Thank you for doing this and for reminding us of the Beauty of Mankind!

Michael Jackson		11-May-2008 09:31
LOve love it, you really have collected good pics

steven wey		11-May-2008 09:18
Good Job Man!! I love those Pictues

Glenda		08-Apr-2008 04:54
Wow... fantastic photos. You really captured the beauty of our indigenous people. A real pleasure to view. Thank you so much for sharing these with us.

Art Vandaleigh		07-Mar-2008 19:12
these photos are awesome. My group will definately use them in our research project on the culture of aboriginals

masha		12-Feb-2008 20:37
the pictures is so beautiful.those people are real australians,not white english criminals,who came there without invintation!this is the real faces of the country,and they are beautiful!

Noelene		15-Jan-2008 00:38
As an introduction to aboriginal culture for my five year old Finnish grandson, I found your gallery of pictures terrific.

Richard Bugbee		22-Dec-2007 20:08
I danced with Russell Dawson at Warana in 1991. I so cool to see him continuing the culture.

firstbrook		20-Dec-2007 10:43
A great record of these proud people Sheila...well done

endre novak		25-Nov-2007 20:50
outstanding gallery and collection of images. V

Guest		24-Nov-2007 06:00
What a beautiful tribute to a beautiful people.

Guest		12-Nov-2007 20:32
You are really talented in capturing the culture and emotion in people! Go you! :D Mary

john harding		25-Oct-2007 06:27
Just want to say congrats, as someone who lived in Sydney for most of the 90's and met many of the buskers while working as reporterfor SBS Indig magazine program called ICAM, I am pleased that they are honored. for many white they are the only or first contact with Kooris. therefore they are ambassadors. Again thanks for honoring them.

Quincey		02-Oct-2007 00:34
I came to your website because my young co-worker had never heard of the Aboriginal people. We both loved the images and the people. I am also a person of color and love explaining to people the we are everywhere. Thank you for being a part of the history lesson.

Ondra		10-Aug-2007 07:38
Breathtaking pictures big thanks Sheila...

Guest		05-Jul-2007 19:11
Outstanding images; very unique gallery.

edmundli		02-May-2007 17:23
I am interested in the aborginal culture as well, love to see your work so much. well done

Guest		10-Mar-2007 15:33
breathtaking gallery, great work.

Galina Stepanova		01-Feb-2007 20:09
Fantastic portrait collection.

thechebb		31-Jan-2007 08:39
A fantastic photo gallery - Thank you for sharing! Cheers & voted!

Guest		27-Jan-2007 21:16
These are absolutely Beautiful! Voted!!!!

Guest		18-Jan-2007 15:29
what a gallery... a thought provoking gallery...

Bernard Bosmans		31-Oct-2006 11:36
This is fair dinkum, a magnificent and remarkable gallery. Beautiful tribute Sheila. I came to these shores in 1954 as a young bloke (24) and after a couple of years offered citizenship. By then had discovered that the the original and oldest residents were not recognised and were not even counted in the census. Instead of taking on citizenship, I joined the Aboriginal Advancement League in protest. Thank you for sharing these wonderful portraits.

Carshena Holladay		18-Sep-2006 22:53
Sheila your pictures are beautiful. I am a black-american and often wonder what our cultures have in common. But I am afraid it is only skin color. As I age, I have become interested in learning about other cultures around the world. This begins my research of this amazing group of people. I will continue to read and learn everything I can about them.

Guest		15-Jun-2006 07:06
Very great gallerie, I like the emotion that your picture shows. Nice work.

Thomas Spurr		11-Jun-2006 13:25
great shots..................

Greg Little		11-Jun-2006 09:07
Outstanding gallery. Nice work.

Matylda Lempel-Chareza Photography		29-May-2006 10:55
outsending,vote

Guest		02-May-2006 02:28
Oh, and you have my vote here! Debi

Guest		02-May-2006 02:27
Your work never ceases to amaze me! I love visiting! Debi

Eva		11-Apr-2006 20:00
Beautiful photos!

Guest		23-Jan-2006 10:06
Thank you for beautiful images, Sheila. Your gallery is very fine - voted. Your images are all the more emotive because the situation of these folk is heart-rending, while at the same time the politics - on both sides - is so frustrating.

George Efstratiou		19-Jun-2005 13:11
It is so great of you to share your work with the world. Bravo sheila as the greeks say.Good on you. Regards to Russell from Cyprus, A freind i have met and made.

Martin Schiff		18-Jun-2005 07:12
Hi Sheila. I really love your work. Thanks so much for sharing it. Is that Turtle Tamwoy in the 4th row from the bottom, second from the right? It sure looks like him. I'm in Orlando, Florida and got to know him quite well when he was here at Epcot. The whole group came to my house for a "barbie" and we jammed for hours. -- Martin

colleen way		17-Jun-2005 15:59
What a unbelievably beautiful collection of portraits. They give off haunting vibes of a people's struggle to simply live the way they know so well. Stirred up some disturbing, sad feelings in my heart and soul. Since I play the yidaki, I loved those the best. I need to get some of these, to help me connect with what is truly important in life, the family of man. Thank you

Guest		15-Jun-2005 12:38
Wondeful Gallery, I think you have really captured the spirit of the people

Todd Banger		09-Jun-2005 01:21
Great portrait pictures. As a journalists I would like to see more pictures that tell the story of these people.

Benoit Durocher Photographie		04-Apr-2005 01:44
Hi Sheila , I must say that I am impressed with most of the pictures in your gallerie. Thanks for sharing.

Guest		30-Dec-2004 11:25
Ottimo lavoro ! Wonderful photos ! Happy new year. Umberto

GP Merfeld		07-Nov-2004 23:17
Wonderful Cultural Imagery! Absolutely beautiful work... Aloha, GP.

Johan Gerrits		31-Oct-2004 13:08
Thanks Sheila for your warm comments on my gallery, what a great shots you captured here, I hear almost the didges here.

Sheila Smart		11-Jul-2004 07:28
If I see him again, Tom, I'll pass on your message. He's not one of my regular subjects.

Guest		10-Jul-2004 20:45
tom@tomthepom.com

Guest		10-Jul-2004 20:43
I know the man in the photo 11 down left hand row. (aborigional didgeridoo player - nice smile) I would love to get back in touch with him, does anyone know of his whereabouts? if so please tell him to mail Tom the Pom! peace.

Mette		13-May-2004 15:53
wondeful, wonderful pictures.... I'm a girl from denmark. I have a school-projekt about aboriginals and i thought that this just is some of the most beautiful pictures i´ve ever seen!! Just love them so much!! SorrY about my english... Mette, 13 years old.

monique jansen		18-Apr-2004 13:02
a wonderful tribute to the original inhabitants of Australia, beautifully rendered portraits.

monique jansen		10-Dec-2003 18:50
amazing shots of an ancient culture and an excellent way of showing some of that culture to a broader audience. Love the humanity in the shots, and the way the faces jump out of the frames

Guest		06-Dec-2003 08:50
All the pictures in this gallery are very beautiful. The first time I saw as many pictures of aborigenes. Good job

Guest		05-Dec-2003 09:32
Sheila, Your amazing talent, and work serve to preserve the moment, the history, and the aboriginality of Australia, "The Land Down Under" that we can see, you love. Thanks for sharing, Happy Holidays, . . . I'll return to see Australia through your eyes . . . I'm here in Iowa viewing, Your digital music for the eyes, and listening to John Williamson sing of Australia . . how could it get any better than that! Best regards, John Connor

Guest		03-Dec-2003 11:32
Fantastic collection. Beautiful photos. Please arrange to have this collection saved for posterity, some museum. This culture is slowly erroding and being absorbed into modern Australia and will be gone in a few more generations. Sadly!

Guest		02-Dec-2003 14:33
Hi Sheila, Your work is just wonderful The portraits are especially strong. Peter Birch is sexual and artistic intensity rolled into one, at least that's the impression I get from the photo. I have also seen some of your dp.review posts and will be sending you an email asking about some lenses, techniques and stock photo advice (if you don't mind).

Sheila Smart		03-Nov-2003 03:35
Thanks. Its my contribution! Cheers Sheila

elkin		02-Nov-2003 05:27
Your pictures are so magnificient that they should be recognised as a world heritage type of things in all decent museums, if you know what I mean. As for government of Australia... it's just another savage British "community" which was created from all UK punks moved to this continent to spend their lives in prison... God bless aborigionals !!!

Guest		18-Sep-2003 19:42
Fantastic, I have just spent a weekend with my boyfriends family from Sydney.... in Athens of all places, we received an invite to Sydney and your photos are wonderful and vibrant.... I can't wait to come over and see Austrailia for myself now.

Jal		17-Sep-2003 14:15
Fantastic album Sheila! You have real brought out the culture and art of the country. Jal

Guest		02-Sep-2003 12:32
All of your images are beautiful, but this gallery gets my vote!

Sheila Smart		02-Jul-2003 02:48
Thanks Dan.

Guest		02-Jul-2003 01:09
My gosh. Each of pictures tells a story and they are all great.

Rodrigo Viterbo		29-Jun-2003 03:51
Hello Sheila. First I discovered the didgeridoo, than the aboriginal culture and now you gave me the opportunity to see those great people in a normal city. I would like to get in touch with the aborigene named Rodney, I would like to buy him a didgeridoo. Could you help me on that? Keep woth those great photos please

Denise Dee		27-Jun-2003 21:19
Hi Shelia, these faces and people are so compelling that it bothers me that they are framed in grey. It pulls my eye to the frame away from the person, and I have to pull it back... thanks, denise

Sheila Smart		17-Jun-2003 11:29
Thanks Craig. The image of the aboriginal lady in black and white was cropped the way it is because she was peering over a box but I think it works anyway! cheers and thanks for your kind comments Sheila

Guest		17-Jun-2003 11:06
Images 12873697 and 1045328 kind of say it all Sheila. I have resited the urge to crop but I can see that it can change the impact an image has dramatically. I continue to visit your galleries and see something different in images I have looked at multiple times. Craig

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