Many man-made materials take hundreds or thousands of years to break down in landfill. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have used locally available natural materials like grasses and reeds from wetlands for thousands of years for weaving different kinds of useful and multifunctional everyday objects which are completely biodegradable.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have transformed materials from their local environment using skill, innovation and science. The process of making tools and complex objects for a specific purpose requires a high level of knowledge of materials, processes, and designs. They have traditionally woven waterproof baskets and effective fish traps using only natural and renewable resources.

The Indigenous Knowledge Institute under University of Melbourne conducts a course for Year 3 and 4 on design and technologies where the students were given an assignment divided into 3 activities.

Activity 1: Designing fish traps

Activity 2: Investigating weaving materials

Activity 3: Weaving from natural or recycled materials

This study focuses on the science principles used behind weaving traditional baskets and fishing nets to design and develop new circular products with specific purposes.

Many man-made materials take hundreds or thousands of years to break down in landfill. Longevity of products and end-of-life disposal is hardly considered while designing products. The resources that are readily available in excess are generally not valued and unsustainably consumed. A traditional handmade object such as a large basket would be looked after with a lot of care, unlike modern throw-away plastic bags, as it takes days or weeks to find, collect and prepare the materials, then weave the basket.

Various studies and campaigns are trying bring back the focus on longevity of products and end-of-life disposal of designed products. One of the benefits of using local natural materials are that this tends to be a renewable resource, in that if care is taken not to remove all of the plants, they will grow back for next time. Natural materials are generally compostable, and once the object is no longer of use, can be safely discarded to break down naturally. 

The aboriginal and islander people used all natural fibres available locally and invented weaving technologies which they used to design baskets with multipurpose functional uses like fishing, gathering and storing food and collecting water. Some materials are only available at a certain time of year, for example, some grasses are more plentiful during or after the wet season. It requires a lot of skill and observation to find the right plants in season.

Fish traps are an excellent example of highly skilled weaving. The size of the weave is important. They were made so the little fish could escape while keeping the big ones to feed their family. This way they still looked after the rivers and its inhabitants. “Take only what you need” is a very important rule in Aboriginal culture, and ensures there is enough left to keep the ecosystem healthy, and for other people. There are different styles of fish traps to catch different types of fish. Eel traps are long and skinny with a funnel at the entrance to guide the eel into the trap. Barramundi traps are much larger, wider and have a one-way lip at the entrance so the fish can’t escape.

The Indigenous Knowledge Institute under University of Melbourne conducts a course for Year 3 and 4 on design and technologies where the students were given an assignment divided into 3 activities.

Activity 1: Designing fish traps

Activity 2: Investigating weaving materials

Activity 3: Weaving from natural or recycled materials

The students were required to focus on the science principles used behind weaving traditional baskets and fishing nets to design and develop new circular products with specific purposes.

The students studied the reasons and purposes behind the indigenous products and collaborated with Aboriginal and Torres Islander community organisation. The students were able to develop a holistic approach in designing circular products. Their study revolved around the following descriptions to ideate and develop fish traps:

Investigate the suitability of materials, systems, components, tools and equipment for a range of purposes.

Generate, develop, and communicate design ideas and decisions using appropriate technical terms and graphical representation techniques.

Evaluate design ideas, processes and solutions based on criteria for success developed with guidance and including care for the environment.

Plan a sequence of production steps when making designed solutions individually and collaboratively.

A great example for a traditional useful basket is found in North Queensland. Bi-cornual baskets were made using a special design weave that allowed baskets to sit in running water to soak seeds for several days to remove toxins and make them safe to eat. This allowed people to eat a much wider variety of foods, including to prepare flours to cook with, that would otherwise have been poisonous. The bicornual basket also has an ergonomical design, made to fit securely and comfortably on the back whilst the handle part is hung from the forehead.  From this position, the basket user could carry a controlled weight easily while having their hands free. These scientific principles and indigenous ecological knowledge of the local communities can prove beneficial in designing functional and circular products collaboratively with them by acknowledging them, their beliefs and respecting their knowledge.

The above image is of a traditional Bi-cornual basket made by Aboriginal and Torres Islander people in Queensland.

Image Credits: National Museum of Australia