Woomera

The Woomera is the Australian Aboriginal version of the spear thrower, and was one of the most important tools for sustenance and survival throughout the history of Australia. A spear thrower is a device that serves as an extension of one’s arm, enabling the user to throw a spear with more power and velocity than would otherwise be possible by hand. Historically spear throwers have been used around the world for at least 40,000 years, being the tool of choice for our ancestors who hunted megafauna. Evidence of projectile points lodged into the bones of mammoths have been found by archaeologists which speaks to the power one can wield if using the tool correctly.

In its most basic form, a spear thrower consists of a spur at one end, which is how the butt of the spear is held in place and thus propelled, at the other end is the handle. Typically a hardwood species is used for production of the object to ensure longevity and stoutness as well as power and accuracy. The finer examples are finished by burnishing them with a bone tool in order to close the grain and make the piece less prone to weathering. Makers would frequently decorate them through the carving of culturally significant symbols and personalised imagery. In Australia, the kangaroo incisor seems to be the favoured tool for both burnishing and carving.

Woomeras also were the multi-tool of choice for bush life, which is a major difference from spear throwers traditionally made in other parts of the world. They acted as containers for carrying food items or water, a plate, a gaff, a cutting tool, a spade for digging with, hooks for harvesting fruits from tall tree branches, and even at times as a hearth board for friction fire using the fire saw technique. This ingenuity tells us how important it was for Aboriginal people to travel free from the constraints of excess and unnecessary weight.

The Woomera you see here is a piece from Bob Cooper’s personal collection, and he noted it was made in the Western Desert from a Bat’s Wing Coral Tree (Erythrina vespertilio).

The handle of a Woomera, or Australian Aboriginal spear thrower. This is a typical example of how a Woomera handle looks and also details the multipurpose nature of the device. The handle here has been coated with an adhesive resin mixture and an embedded stone shard to serve as a knife or chisel. The shard would usually be a locally available stone such as quartz and could be used for all manner of tasks: from trimming cordage to carving and sharpening. The extra bulk added to the handle through this technique also means a better grip is possible when launching a spear, as well as it acting as a counter weight for added power. The mixture is a ground up combination of 80% grasstree (Xanthorrhoea) resin, 10% possum fur for added strength and a final 10% charcoal used as a temper. A batch would be ground up with a rock, mixed together by hand, then collected by rolling a stick over the dry and finely ground material, which would then be heated over the fire and repeated until enough layers of the material had been accumulated. The same stick would be used to apply it onto the wooden handle of the Woomera and to finish, a smooth stone was used to shape and burnish the adhesive whilst it is still warm and pliable. Using one’s hand for this step would be feasible too as long as the substance is not too hot! When dry, the mixture is solid, weatherproof and durable.

The spur, hook, or peg end of a Australian Aboriginal spear thrower, or Woomera. This is the part of the spear thrower that is used to hold the butt end of the spear. The butt of the spear would have a small hollow drilled out of the end so it sits snugly on the spur. The spur pictured is made of wood, although stone, bone, tooth or shell can be used to the same effect. In this instance, the wooden spur has first been glued down using a grasstree resin mix described in the previous post, then was lashed with kangaroo tail sinew for extra security, as the sinew dries it shrinks and adds even more rigidity/strength. Notice how the spur is angled pointing slightly upwards. Though not essential, this is to ensure the spear is released at a more optimal angle as it is hurled at its target. It is also marginally more forgiving in terms of throwing technique in comparison to a spur that has a less pronounced angle, meaning the user can throw with enhanced accuracy and power.