The word "aboriginal" means "the first" or "earliest known". Aborigines are a group of people native to Australia. They are estimated to have populated Australia for around 50,000 years. In the late 18th century, most Aboriginal people were hunter-gatherers with a complex oral culture and spiritual values based upon reverence for the land and a belief in the Dreamtime. The Dreamtime is simultaneous practice of the ancient time of creation and the present day reality of dreaming.
