Fire stick farming was used by Aboriginal People for thousands of years to change the landscape. It was adapted well over a vast range of environments to suit individual areas. By using fire stick farming the Aboriginal People were able to control where and when the fires burned to produce results, increasing the amount and diversity of food available. There were many advantages to fire-stick farming. • Fires were lit in ‘patches’ so Aboriginal People could plan and predict plant growth. • Only small areas of land were burned at a time, this meant that land with new growth was not affected by the fire. • The fires were usually lit in cooler seasons so they did not get out of control. • The fires burnt off undergrowth so they would not kill the larger trees. This meant that there was less wood to burn in the hotter seasons so huge bushfires did not happen. • After the fire had burned the undergrowth, new grass and fresh vegetation would grow in its place, this attracted kangaroos and wallabies which could be easily hunted for food. • Edible plants like young leaves, shoots, roots, tubers and yams were encouraged to grow after the fire and were easier to collect. • Some native trees release their seeds after the fire and there were no animals around to eat the seeds which allowed for new growth of these species. • The ash from the fire also worked as a fertiliser for regrowth after it rained. • Fire would drive poisonous snakes away and keep the walking tracks clear. • Fire flushed out animals like kangaroos, possums, wombats, reptiles and birds.
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