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2.0 What is it? Where does it live? What would you do with it? What
is it called? Note to teacher: This resource is supported by the
document The Macassans: What legacy did they leave for
Australians?, also available on the Our Asian Stories website (in
teacher-developed resources).Our Asian Stories
Slide 2
Sea cucumbers Also called trepang in Indonesian. They live on
the sea floor, but are exposed at low tide. They are used in
cooking and for their medicinal properties. They keep oceans
healthy by filtering sea water and eating decomposing organic
matter.
Slide 3
Macassar Macassar (or Makassar), is the provincial capital of
South Sulawesi in Indonesia. It was once the dominant trading
centre of eastern Indonesia. Image: Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 3.0
Image: Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 3.0 Macassar
Slide 4
Macassans what does it mean? In the 18 th and 19 th centuries,
fleets of boats came to the waters of Northern Australia from
Macassar, to fish for sea cucumbers. Historically, the term
Macassan refers to the Indonesian people who sailed in the annual
fleet to Northern Australia.
Slide 5
Macassans fishermen There were between 30-60 boats in each
fleet. The journey took between 10-21 days. Approximately 2000 men
came each season. The journey was 1600kms. They used the monsoonal
winds to travel by sail. They arrived each December, fished over
the summer months and returned home in March. They caught the sea
cucumbers by hand or with spears.
Slide 6
Macassans traders The Macassans boiled and dried the sea
cucumbers. They would sail to southern China to supply the markets.
Images: Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 2.0 Images: Wikimedia Commons CC
BY-SA 2.0
Slide 7
Contact with Australia Trepang fishing brought the Macassans
into contact with many Aboriginal people, in particular the Yolngu
people of Arnhem Land in Northern Australia. Image: Glen Dillion,
Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 3.0 Image: Glen Dillion, Wikimedia
Commons CC BY-SA 3.0
Slide 8
Praus Click here to view an Aboriginal bark painting. What do
you see in the bark painting? What colours and patterns has the
artist used? What do you think is the significance of these colours
and patterns? Bark painting sources: Search Google images, Tjapu
bark painting or Kalanga Numarndangiya Bara Anindilyakwa
Slide 9
Praus Image: Wikimedia Commons, public domain image (copyright
expired) Praus (or perahu, prows) is the name for the sailing
vessels used by the Macassan trepangers. Image: Wikimedia Commons
CC BY-SA 3.0CC BY-SA 3.0 Image: Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 3.0CC
BY-SA 3.0
Slide 10
Praus Student activities: 1. Research the features and
materials used to construct these vessels, then sketch and label
the parts of a prau. 2. Write an explanation about the significance
of the Aboriginal bark painting. Describe what it shows about the
relationship between the Aboriginal people and the Macassan
traders. 3. Either make a model and see if floats or recreate the
bark painting using textured cardboard and crayons, or with chalk
in the playground. Image: Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 3.0 Image:
Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 3.0
Slide 11
Mapping the voyage On a map of Indonesia and Northern
Australia, map the route of the Macassans (visit
http://www.manikay.com/didjerid u/macass.shtml for guidance).
http://www.manikay.com/didjerid u/macass.shtml On your map, mark
Macassar, Arnhem Land and the seas. How did the monsoons assist the
Macassans? How did the monsoons impact when the Macassans
travelled? What dangers and problems do you think they faced during
the journey? Write a story about a trepangers voyage. Image:
Wikimedia Commons, public domain image
Slide 12
Matthew Flinders encounter with the Macassans Matthew Flinders
was the first person to circumnavigate Australia. On the 17 th of
February 1803, he met the Macassans. Read Matthew Flinders journal,
p. 137 (Every motion in the whale boat to the fleet returns to
Macassar.), then complete the activities on the next page.Matthew
Flinders journal Image: Wikimedia Commons, public domain image
(copyright expired) Image: Wikimedia Commons, public domain image
(copyright expired)
Slide 13
Student activities In pairs, discuss the meeting between
Flinders and Pobasso, from each mans view point. What did Flinders
and Pobasso learn about each other through this meeting? Script the
meeting and perform it as a role play. Explore the saying in the
right place at the right time in relation to this scenario. Focus
on the date and the winds as factors affecting the encounter
between Flinders and Pobasso. Why is reading Flinders journal
important to our understanding of the Macassans?
Slide 14
Click on each flag to watch the Red Flag Dancers (2 videos)
Which parts of the costume do you think are traditional to the
Nundhirribala people? Which parts do you think were introduced by
the Macassans? Describe how the dance tells a story.
Slide 15
How did the Macassans influence Aboriginal life? Brainstorm and
discuss possible ways Aboriginal life may have been influenced by
the ongoing contact with the Macassans over the centuries. In
research groups, investigate the following areas of impact:
LanguageCanoesTools and weapons Food and dietHealthMethods of
fishing ClothWorking forMethods of wagescooking Analyse and record
the impact of each area investigated on a PMI (positive, minus,
interesting) chart. Write a discussion text about the Macassan
influence on Aboriginal life in Northern Australia.
