Indigenous Meteorology of Victoria: Reading Country, Sky, and Seasons
Long before European science developed weather forecasting, Indigenous peoples of Victoria and across Australia held sophisticated systems of meteorology. Knowledge of winds, clouds, rain, and seasonal cycles was embedded in Dreaming stories, ceremonies, and everyday observation.
For the Kulin Nations, Gunditjmara, and Wadawurrung, the sky, rivers, and plants served as living guides for predicting weather, guiding travel, and ensuring sustainable harvests.
Indigenous meteorology was not separate from culture—it united law, ecology, and cosmology, ensuring balance between people and Country. Though colonisation disrupted these systems, this knowledge endures and is being revived, offering both cultural renewal and climate resilience (Clarke, 2007; Gammage, 2011; Hamacher & Norris, 2011).
Deep History of Indigenous Meteorology
Observing the Skies
Indigenous meteorology developed from tens of thousands of years of observation and environmental intimacy:
Cloud formations signalled changes in rainfall and wind. Wispy cirrus clouds often foretold weather shifts.
Wind directions indicated seasonal transitions and bird migrations.
Star movements guided rainfall prediction — the rising of the Pleiades (Larnankurrk) marked the coming of winter in southern Victoria.
These insights were carried through oral traditions, reinforced by seasonal practice and ceremonial retelling (Hamacher, 2012).
Seasonal Calendars
Indigenous meteorology followed local ecological cycles rather than the European four-season model.
The Kulin Nations observed seven distinct seasons, each marked by changes in plants, animals, and rainfall (Broome, 2005).
The Gunditjmara followed the migration of kooyang (short-finned eels), whose movements were tied to rainfall and water flow (UNESCO, 2019).
For the Wadawurrung, indicators such as the flowering of wattles (Acacia) announced warmer weather and fish spawning in the Barwon River (WTOAC, 2021).
These seasonal cycles reflected a living meteorological system that supported ecological balance and sustainable living.
Fire and Weather
Fire management required precise meteorological timing:
Cultural burning (or “cool burns”) was guided by humidity, wind, and soil conditions (Gammage, 2011).
These burns renewed native grasses, prevented destructive wildfires, and encouraged biodiversity.
The practice demonstrated how meteorology, ecology, and ceremony operated as one system of environmental care (Atkinson, 2002).
Indigenous Meteorology in Victorian Communities
Kulin Nations
Bundjil (the eaglehawk) governed winds and sky law, symbolising strength and balance.
Waang (the crow) controlled rain and storms, teaching through story the power of nature and consequence.
Celestial markers guided movement and resource use —
The Pleiades (Larnankurrk) signalled frosty weather.
The Emu in the Sky (Tchingal) aligned with seasonal fertility and rainfall (Hamacher & Norris, 2011).
These stories connected meteorology with law, morality, and spirituality.
Gunditjmara
Weather cycles guided the eel aquaculture systems of Budj Bim, where rainfall determined when to open or close stone channels (UNESCO, 2019).
Clouds forming above Budj Bim volcano were read as signs to prepare for water movement.
This system integrated geology, hydrology, and sky observation — an Indigenous environmental science built over millennia (Clark, 1990).
Wadawurrung
The Barwon and Moorabool Rivers acted as weather indicators — their clarity and flow forecasted rain or flooding.
Corio Bay winds were studied to guide canoe travel and fishing safety.
Stories of storm and lightning beings reinforced respect for natural law, teaching consequences for imbalance (WTOAC, 2021).
Meteorology, Ceremony, and Law
Indigenous meteorology was not only scientific but also spiritual and ceremonial:
Offerings and songs maintained harmony between sky, land, and people.
Dance and performance translated cloud and wind patterns into movement, preserving weather knowledge through art.
Totemic systems tied certain clans to elements of weather, such as wind, water, or fire, giving them custodial responsibilities (Rose, 1996).
Meteorological understanding was therefore inseparable from cultural law and social order.
Impacts of Colonisation
Suppression of Knowledge: European settlers dismissed Indigenous meteorology as myth, imposing their own seasonal calendar (Broome, 2005).
Loss of Access to Country: Dispossession broke the link between people and their traditional observation sites (Critchett, 1990).
Environmental Change: Clearing forests, draining wetlands, and grazing livestock disrupted natural signs that guided Indigenous weather systems (Gammage, 2011).
Colonial disregard for Indigenous warnings about floods or fires often led to environmental disaster.
Revival and Contemporary Practice
Indigenous meteorology is being reconnected to Country and modern science:
Reconstructed Seasonal Calendars inform contemporary land management.
Cultural burning programs led by Traditional Owners depend on Indigenous meteorological timing.
Educational projects across Victoria teach sky stories and local weather indicators (Hamacher, 2012).
Climate collaborations between Traditional Owners and scientists highlight Indigenous forecasting for resilience and sustainability (CSIRO, 2023).
This revival reflects an ongoing relationship between observation, ceremony, and care for Country.
Global Parallels
Indigenous meteorology aligns with knowledge systems worldwide:
Māori of Aotearoa/New Zealand interpret cloud and wind patterns for navigation and seasonal farming (King et al., 2008).
Inuit peoples in the Arctic predict weather by observing animal behaviour and moon halos.
Native American and African communities read sky signs to guide agriculture and ceremony.
These parallels affirm that Indigenous meteorology is both cultural and scientific — rooted in generations of ecological observation.
Conclusion
The Indigenous meteorology of Victoria represents one of the world’s oldest systems of environmental science — a union of sky, law, and land.
Through stories, stars, rivers, and fire, Victorian Indigenous peoples developed meteorological systems that sustained communities and ecosystems for thousands of years.
Colonisation disrupted these systems, yet their revival today strengthens both cultural identity and climate knowledge.
By recognising Indigenous meteorology as both story and science, we walk toward a more sustainable and respectful relationship with Country, sky, and season.
References
Atkinson, W. (2002). Not One Iota: The Yorta Yorta Struggle for Land Justice. Canberra: Aboriginal Studies Press.
Broome, R. (2005). Aboriginal Victorians: A History Since 1800. Sydney: Allen & Unwin.
Clark, I.D. (1990). Aboriginal Languages and Clans: An Historical Atlas of Western and Central Victoria, 1800–1900. Melbourne: Monash Publications in Geography.
Clarke, P. (2007). Aboriginal People and Their Plants. Sydney: Rosenberg Publishing.
Critchett, J. (1990). A Distant Field of Murder: Western District Frontiers, 1834–1848. Melbourne: Melbourne University Press.
CSIRO (2023). Indigenous Knowledge and Climate Resilience Research Collaboration. Canberra: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation.
Gammage, B. (2011). The Biggest Estate on Earth: How Aborigines Made Australia. Sydney: Allen & Unwin.
Hamacher, D. & Norris, R. (2011). ‘Bridging the Gap through Australian Cultural Astronomy’, Astronomical Society of the Pacific Conference Series, 424, pp. 221–228.
Hamacher, D. (2012). Aboriginal Sky Knowledge and Its Role in Predicting Seasonal Change. Sydney: Macquarie University Press.
King, D.N., Skipper, A. & Tawhai, W.B. (2008). Māori Environmental Knowledge of Weather and Climate. Wellington: NIWA.
Rose, D.B. (1996). Nourishing Terrains: Australian Aboriginal Views of Landscape and Wilderness. Canberra: Australian Heritage Commission.
UNESCO (2019). Budj Bim Cultural Landscape World Heritage Nomination. Paris: UNESCO.
Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation (2021). Seasons and Weather Knowledge of Wadawurrung Country. Geelong: WTOAC
Written, Researched and Directed by James Vegter 16/09/2025
Magic Lands Alliance
Sharing the truth of Indigenous and colonial history through film, education, land and community.
Copyright of MLA – 2025
Magic Lands Alliance acknowledge the Traditional Owners, Custodians, and First Nations communities across Australia and internationally. We honour their enduring connection to the sky, land, waters, language, and culture. We pay our respects to Elders past, present, and emerging, and to all First Peoples communities and language groups. This article draws only on publicly available information; many cultural practices remain the intellectual property of communities.