For over 50,000 years, Aboriginal Australians have had a deep connection to the stars and planets, and their movement across the sky. This connection can be found in oral traditions, art and ceremonies, and cultural practices. The practical use of this knowledge was applied to navigation, creating calendars, and the harvest of food sources.

Most Indigenous groups across Australia were hunter/gatherers who moved across their countries to take advantage of seasonal food sources. They practiced careful land management techniques, such as fire stick farming, to increase the food yield on the land. These practices were guided by the seasons, and the change in seasons was marked by changes in the night sky. This understanding of the sky included eclipses, the motion of the Sun and Moon and the Moon’s link to tides, and the ability to predict the rising and setting places of celestial bodies.

Celestial objects also form an important part of the Dreaming, explaining the creation of the earth, sky and people, and the astral beings that influence life on earth. The spirit world was in the stars, and after death the spirit would return to the sky country. In some parts of Australia, oral traditions of the sky are complemented by rock art, stone placement and carvings that help to illustrate and mark celestial events.

While each group had stories and practices unique to their needs, several star stories are common across much of Australia, one of which is the Dark Emu that can be found in the dark patches and streaks between the stars of the Milky Way. Throughout the year, the position of the Dark Emu signals different food sources and tasks, which vary between groups across the country according to local needs.