AUSTRALIAN SHIELDS

[VANDOO]

I WILL START WITH SHIELDS FROM WESTERN AUSTRALIA REFERRED TO AS WUNDA SHIELDS. THE ONES I HAVE SEEN USUALLY RANGE IN SIZE FROM 81 CM. TO 70CM. LONG AND 14 CM TO 15 CM .WIDE. MOST HAVE CARVED DESIGNS ON BOTH SIDES NONE OF THE GOOD OLD ONES HAVE POKERWORK= (BURNED IN DESIGNS) USUALLY OF A HARD RED WOOD ( IT MAY BE CALLED BEANWOOD) SOMETIMES WITH PIGMENTS ADDED. THIS IS SCANT INFORMATION FEEL FREE TO ADD TO IT OR CORRECT ANY MISTAKES. ENJOY
PICTURES 2 AND 3 SHOW FRONT AND BACK OF ONE EXAMPLE COLLECTED IN THE 1920'S ITS 69.5 CM.LONG, PICTURES 3 AND 4 SHOW FRONT AND BACK OF ANOTHER.

[VANDOO]

VARIOUS AUSTRALIAN SHIELDS FROM QUEENSLAND. TWO PICTURES OF ABORIGINALS WITH SHIELDS ECT. TAKEN IN 1890. NOTE THE LARGE CLUB IN ONE PICTURE. THESE SHIELDS USUALLY RANGE IN SIZE FROM 48CM. TO 102 CM. USUALLY. PAINTED WITH PIGMENTS.

[Battara]

Not my area of interest, but good stuff and fascinating. Now I know...

[VANDOO]

THIN PARRYING SHIELDS FROM VARIOUS GROUPS IN NEW SOUTH WALES. I LIKE THIS VARIATION BECAUSE IT COULD SERVE AS A TWO POINTED WEAPON IN CLOSE QUARTERS AS WELL AS A SHIELD. SUCH SHIELDS RELIED ON THE AGILITY AND AWARNESS OF THE WARRIOR AS THERE WASN'T MUCH TO HIDE BEHIND GOOD BLOCKING AND MOVEMENT WAS THE KEY TO SURVIVAL.

[Sajen]

Very well done Barry!

[VANDOO]

A FEW MORE N.S.W. PARRYING SHIELDS THEY RANGE FROM 60 CM TO 87CM. LONG. POINTED ENDS AND CENTER CAN BE USED IN STRIKES TO OPPONEMTS BODY.

[VANDOO]

HERE ARE SOME FORMS FROM WESTERN TO CENTRAL AUSTRALIA. THEY USUALLY RANGE AROUND 89 CM. LONG, SOME WITH PIGMENT AND SOME WITH NONE. THE PICTURE OF THE ABORIGINALS IS FROM THE GREY RIVER AREA. THE FIRST TWO PICTURES ARE FRONT AND BACK OF A SHIELD FROM THE LAGRANGE AREA. THE SMALL LAST PICTURE IS OF A NEWER ONE I AM NOT SURE OF THE LOCATION.

[VANDOO]

TWO EXAMPLES OF A LATER FORM OF DECORATION REFERED TO AS POKER WORK MADE BY USING A HOT PIECE OF METAL TO WOOD BURN IN DESIGNS. THE SMALLER ROUND SHIELD (3 PICTURES DETAIL OF EMU) IS FROM 1900'S AROUND THE LA PEROUSE MISSION. ORIGIN OF THE OTHER ONE UNKNOWN.
PICTURE 6 SHIELD FROM SOUTH EAST AUST. 7. AND 8 PAPUNYA SHIELD NORTHERN TERRITORY WESTERN DESERT, FRONT AND BACK. 9. CAPE YORK SHIELD FAR NORTH QUEENSLAND, 10. QUEENSLAND RAINFOREST BATTLE QUEENSLAND 11. NEW TOURIST ITEMS PAIRS OF NULLA NULLA AND SHIELDS. 12. CLUB AND SHIELD QUEENSLAND.

THIS INFORMATION IS VERY RUDIMENTARY AND PERHAPS NOT ALL CORRECT BUT IS INTENDED TO GIVE SOME IDEA OF THE RANGE OF SHIELDS IN AUSTRALIA VIA PICTURES WITH LITTLE INFORMATION. I HAVE GONE AS FAR AS I CAN. THIS COULD FORM A BASIS FOR THOSE WITH MORE KNOWLEGE TO MAKE IT INTO A GOOD REFRENCE SOURCE IF THEY SO CHOOSE. OTHERWISE ENJOY THE PICTURES.

[fearn]

I'm puzzled about those queensland sword clubs (#12). They are so big, but I'm trying to figure out how a warrior would wield one. I calculated out the weight of one, and it was in the range of 1.6 kg (3.5 lb). Swords are usually in the 2-3 pound range. Trying to imagine swinging that big a board around by a tiny little handle is somewhere between awe-inspiring and nuts.

[VANDOO]

I HAVE ONE OF THESE AND YOU ARE RIGHT, LEARNING HOW TO USE ONE OF THESE AWKWARD CLUBS WITH ANY SKILL WOULD BE DIFFICULT. I CAN'T IMAGINE SUCH A CLUB DOING MUCH DAMMAGE PERHAPS A BLEEDING SCALP WOUND OR A HURT SHIN OR WHACKED RUMP BUT NOTHING FATAL.
THE CLUB MAY BE DESIGNED FOR THE PURPOSE OF WOUNDING IN A FRIENDLY NON FATAL CONFLICT. MANY OF THE ABORIGINAL GROUPS WERE RELATED BUT SEPARATE SO WHEN DISAGREMENTS OR MINOR CONFLICTS OCCURED PERHAPS THEY SETTLED IT USING THESE CLUBS AND SHIELDS. IN MORE SERIOUS CONFLICTS SPEARS AND OTHER MORE DANGEROUS CLUBS MAY HAVE BEEN USED. I HAVE NO KNOWLEGE OF THESE SO THIS IS JUST LOGICAL GUESSING ON MY PART. THEY ARE BIG AND IMPRESSIVE AND FUNNY AT THE SAME TIME. I CAN IMAGINE A WARRIOR WAVEING ONE AROUND AND SAYING MINE IS BIGGER THAN YOURS AND NOW YOU ARE GOING TO GET A WHIPPIN!

[billevans]

Originally Posted by VANDOO

I WILL START WITH SHIELDS FROM WESTERN AUSTRALIA REFERRED TO AS WUNDA SHIELDS. THE ONES I HAVE SEEN USUALLY RANGE IN SIZE FROM 81 CM. TO 70CM. LONG AND 14 CM TO 15 CM .WIDE. MOST HAVE CARVED DESIGNS ON BOTH SIDES NONE OF THE GOOD OLD ONES HAVE POKERWORK= (BURNED IN DESIGNS) USUALLY OF A HARD RED WOOD ( IT MAY BE CALLED BEANWOOD) SOMETIMES WITH PIGMENTS ADDED. THIS IS SCANT INFORMATION FEEL FREE TO ADD TO IT OR CORRECT ANY MISTAKES. ENJOY
PICTURES 2 AND 3 SHOW FRONT AND BACK OF ONE EXAMPLE COLLECTED IN THE 1920'S ITS 69.5 CM.LONG, PICTURES 3 AND 4 SHOW FRONT AND BACK OF ANOTHER.

I believe that beanwood is a term often used regarding the soft wood shields of Central Australia, not hardwood shields from Western Australia.

[billevans]

Originally Posted by VANDOO

THIN PARRYING SHIELDS FROM VARIOUS GROUPS IN NEW SOUTH WALES. I LIKE THIS VARIATION BECAUSE IT COULD SERVE AS A TWO POINTED WEAPON IN CLOSE QUARTERS AS WELL AS A SHIELD. SUCH SHIELDS RELIED ON THE AGILITY AND AWARNESS OF THE WARRIOR AS THERE WASN'T MUCH TO HIDE BEHIND GOOD BLOCKING AND MOVEMENT WAS THE KEY TO SURVIVAL.

usually parrying shields with a flattened front and triangular reverse are from Western Victoria not NSW.

[VANDOO]

THANKS FOR THE CORRECTIONS ON THE BEANWOOD AND PARRYING SHIELDS. HERE ARE THE LAST OF MY PICTURES OF AUSTRALIAN SHIELDS. THE PIC. OF THE SINGLE WARRIOR IS 1890'S NORTHERN TERRITORY. THE ENGRAVING WITH TWO PEOPLE IS FROM 1870. THE THIRD HAS VARIOUS ITEMS AS WELL AS SHIELDS AND WARRIORS.