As sort of a follow up to a thread I posted a couple days ago, it is intriguing that the Polynesians settled from the Solomon Islands to Hawaii to perhaps South America, bringing the sweet potato all across Polynesia. Yet, as modern archaeology attests, the Polynesians never made contact with Australia or the Aborigines, and to me this is weird. Why did they not make contact with Australia? If they ever did, would they be in a better position to expand than in South America?
Why didn't the Polynesians settle on Australia?
- Thread starter Ellie
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Two possible reasons firstly that they didn't know about Australia (Quite possible as Polynesians generally followed the Ocean currents from West to East) or that even if they did the first explorers stopped off at an fairly uninhabitable part of the coast and told all their other explorer friends not to come and explore Australia again due to it being desolate. Personally I find the first explanation the most likely.
The Giant Worm, Dragon, or Lizard mythos haunts the darkness of a lot of cultures. I wonder whats up with that?
Google East Australia Current and you'll see that it is very difficult to get from New Zealand to Australia by Polynesian canoe. Indeed most canoe crossings etx these days are in the opposite direction.
The islands between NZ and New Guinea were already populated by Melanesians, who would probably have seen off the Polynesians by shouting 'Long Pig' and other unfriendly things, so a Polynesian approach from that direction was unlikely.
And before you ask, the Melanesians had already crossed from New Guinea to Cape York.
These days most east coast blocks of land with even a glimpse of the sea seem to be priced at AUD 1m.
The islands between NZ and New Guinea were already populated by Melanesians, who would probably have seen off the Polynesians by shouting 'Long Pig' and other unfriendly things, so a Polynesian approach from that direction was unlikely.
And before you ask, the Melanesians had already crossed from New Guinea to Cape York.
These days most east coast blocks of land with even a glimpse of the sea seem to be priced at AUD 1m.
Worm is an old Germanic word for dragon. It's usually written as Wyrm in English.
Cheers,
Nigel.
Quiet likely. The Maoris certainly wouldn't expect a stick to come out of nowhere hit them and most likely spin away.
While warfare wasn't common in Indigenous Australian culture I doubt they would not be able to do so in case of an attack.
The tropical portions of Australia, which one would think would be good for Polynesian agriculture, have some of the worst soils in the world. They're nutrient poor and rich in metals that plants struggle with, and only the coast is adequately watered...and it isn't always adequately watered.
In Australia, the real prize is the south, but for the Maori the south is as worse as or worse than New Zealand depending on the location.
In Australia, the real prize is the south, but for the Maori the south is as worse as or worse than New Zealand depending on the location.
Probably because of this dude and his huge fucking spear
Mind you, the Austronesian ancestors of the Polynesians did have contact with Australia, even if it was indirect. Dingos aren't like camels, they didn't float to Australia on mats of wild vegetation RIP Terry Pratchett
Mind you, the Austronesian ancestors of the Polynesians did have contact with Australia, even if it was indirect. Dingos aren't like camels, they didn't float to Australia on mats of wild vegetation RIP Terry Pratchett
Camels floated to Australia on mats of vegetation? I assumed they were bought by Europeans much like horses and other animals.
Highlight that line of text so the white text is apparent. Then go read the book "The Last Continent".
It would have been impossible to get from New Zealand to Australia by Polynesian canoe.
If they were going to get there, they would have to go via New Guinea and Papua, down through the Torres Strait to get to Cape York.
If they were going to get there, they would have to go via New Guinea and Papua, down through the Torres Strait to get to Cape York.
Probably because they weren't suicidal. They Went there, took one look at the place and everything that tried to kill them, and said: Hell No.
OTL, Austronesian languages are spoken across much of the northern and eastern coast of New Guinea, and across the entire Melanesian archipelago, so, not Polynesians per se, but their linguistic relatives did get extremely close to Australia.