WA Journey Ways - Drought Journey 1

From 35,000 years ago onwards, Earth was moving into one of the most severe glaciations with temperatures dropping to 6 to 10 degrees below current temperatures. By 22,000 years ago the glaciers were thickest with ice sheets covering most continents. Sea levels were at their lowest dropping to approximately 150 to 400 metres below current levels. Old water ecosystems disappeared and arid areas expanded. Australian glaciers did not extend into Western Australia however the countryside suffered an extreme drought of 10,000 years that lasted between 25,000 and 15,000 years ago. Archaeologists suggest that Aboriginal people survived the drought by clustering in refuges where there was permanent water and by visiting other refuges when the climate permitted. In Western Australia refuges were Nyoongar territory, the Pilbara tablelands and the Kimberley.  

Robertson, F., Nannup, N. and Barrow J. 'Great Journeys undertaken by Aboriginal people in ancient times in Western Australia', Batchelor Press, 2019.

Permissions from Francesca Robertson, Noel Nannup and Jason Barrow for use of material from 'Great Journeys undertaken by Aboriginal People in Western Australia in Ancient times’.  Permission for use of the story provided by Wayne Webb for the Great Journeys book and other iterations of same for TLCMap. Do not re-use without permission.