Written By - Phil Nebergall - 06/26/2007
Link to Original Article here

Most people do not realize that the Australian Aborigines were made up of many different tribes living in vastly different climates and conditions. Each area had its own demands for survival. Each group adapted to its environment whether it be the desert, the rain forest, or the coast from the hot and humid tropical north of Australia to the much cooler temperate south.

Since the tribes tended to stay in their own geographical areas, they developed many local variations in their diet, language and culture but at the same time retained many overall similarities. Tourists visiting Aborigine cultural centers in different parts of Australia would be presented with somewhat different customs. Even the types of animals hunted and plants eaten would vary from tribe to tribe.

At the cultural center I visited, the Aborigines were descended from the Northeast rainforest tribes where giant snakes and salt water crocodiles are common. It is a hot, wet place where daily rains and one or more typhoons occur each year. Fire starting is a real challenge here. These Aborigines overcame this problem by carrying a waterproof fire making kit with them.

The kit or \"fire stick\" was quite simple and consisted of two sticks(a large one 2 inches in diameter X 3 feet long with several crosscut grooves and a smaller pointed stick 1/2 inch in diameter X 2 feet long), some dry tender, and a small waterproof cover to keep the tender dry. When not in use, the two sticks were laid parallel together. A softball sized water proof cover, coated with a waterproof wax or resin, was filled with dry tender and then slid tightly over the end of the two sticks. This had to be a tight waterproof fit to keep the tender dry and it also held the two sticks tightly together for carrying. It had the appearance of a large 3 foot long safety match.

When a fire was needed, the waterproof cover was pulled off and some tender removed. The tender was then placed on a dry spot on the ground. The large 2 inch diameter stick was placed on top of the tender with one of the precut grooves lining up with the center of the tender. The groove was held at an angle to the tender. The smaller pointed stick was then placed with the point at the upper end of the groove. Although one person could use this kit, in the demonstration which I watched, three Aborigines worked together.

One held the larger grooved stick steady on top of the tender. The second Aborigine rotated the pointed stick back and forth between the palms of his hands. He started at the top of the stick and applied as much downward pressure as he could while rotated it back and forth. His hands quickly slide down to the bottom of the stick but then the third Aborigine jumped in and started at the top of the stick. By taking turns, they were able to maintain continuous pressure and rotation on the pointed stick.

After a minute the contact point between the two sticks began to turn black and smoke. After another minute several extremely tiny glowing embers generated at the friction point began to fall down the groove onto the dry tender below. As soon as the tender started smoking they stopped and one of them quickly grabbed up the barely smoking tender. He cupped it between his hands and blew on it over and over. After each breath, more and more smoke appeared as he nursed the tiny ember. After about another minute, the tender burst into flames. In just three minutes, they had fire.

Of course there is a lot more to this story. Many variations to this technique are possible. What kind of wood they used for the two sticks or where they got the tender. In the demonstration I watched, the tender was some type of dry plant fiber but I have read that even dried animal dung could be used. This would vary by the best materials available to the Aborigines in different parts of the country. Each tribe was expert at using what nature provided.

In the picture (see page 1) Each part is clearly visible as it is used. The end of the larger stick is tapered to get a watertight fit with the cover during storage. The small waterproof cover is visible lying on the ground at the bottom of the picture. Hundreds of small red seeds were pressed onto the waterproof coating for decoration. When the fire making kit was not in use, this red cover on the end of the two sticks make it look like a giant modern wooden match.