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Why two indigenous flags?

Pommy

Coach
Messages
14,657
So it’s coming up to indigenous round and something I have always wondered is why is there two flags? One for mainland (I think) people and one from the Torres Strait.
What’s the reasoning, is there an ethnic difference or big cultural ones?
With Australia being such a huge place I would imagine someone from Townsville would be closer in both of these respects to someone from the strait rather than say someone from Fremantle, yet the flags would suggest otherwise.
 

SpaceMonkey

Immortal
Messages
37,548
Because Torrest Strait Islanders as a people and culture are considered distinct from Australian Aboriginal people- their culture shares as much with Papuans or Melanesians as it does with Aborigines. TSI are a seafaring culture, whereas aboriginal peoples aren’t, aside from a little bit of island hopping up around the NT.
 
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Mr Angry

Not a Referee
Messages
51,764
Such a European concept, flags, not part of their culture at all.

But hey I have no objection. They have the QLD flag too.
 
Messages
2,627
So it’s coming up to indigenous round and something I have always wondered is why is there two flags? One for mainland (I think) people and one from the Torres Strait.
What’s the reasoning, is there an ethnic difference or big cultural ones?
With Australia being such a huge place I would imagine someone from Townsville would be closer in both of these respects to someone from the strait rather than say someone from Fremantle, yet the flags would suggest otherwise.
Those Islanders had very little in common with the Australian Aborigine. If you would like to get a real feel for the difference between the 2 groups then I suggest you get yourself a copy of this brilliant book.
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Drums-of-Mer-1941/153441651838?hash=item23b9d5cc7e:g:5UoAAOSwJiJcqAy3
. Any book written by that man should be compulsory reading for any Australian, new or old.
Years ago I would have lent you my copy but I've since learned not to lend my Ion L Idriess books to anyone.

Edited due to Amazon link not working.
 
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Messages
2,627
@Pommy If you want insight into it, there is an excellent series about it on the ABC. You've missed the early years though as tonight goes into the post WW2 era. you can catch up on it here.
https://iview.abc.net.au/show/blue-water-empire
I'm not too sure how much you know about Australian mainland Aboriginal culture (and even that varies from tribe to tribe) but its very different to the culture of the Islands just to our north. cheers.
 

Pommy

Coach
Messages
14,657
@Pommy If you want insight into it, there is an excellent series about it on the ABC. You've missed the early years though as tonight goes into the post WW2 era. you can catch up on it here.
https://iview.abc.net.au/show/blue-water-empire
I'm not too sure how much you know about Australian mainland Aboriginal culture (and even that varies from tribe to tribe) but its very different to the culture of the Islands just to our north. cheers.

I will give it a stream tonight, will probably be a slow burner but I’m interested to learn more.
 

Pommy

Coach
Messages
14,657
I watched the first episode and it was very interesting.
Some of the acting was laughable though, the white guy praying on the beach actually made me lol.
 

Lambretta

First Grade
Messages
8,679
@Pommy If you want insight into it, there is an excellent series about it on the ABC. You've missed the early years though as tonight goes into the post WW2 era. you can catch up on it here.
https://iview.abc.net.au/show/blue-water-empire
I'm not too sure how much you know about Australian mainland Aboriginal culture (and even that varies from tribe to tribe) but its very different to the culture of the Islands just to our north. cheers.

This sounds right up my alley

Cheers
 

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