Australian Aboriginal Culture Series No.2

Making Fire

By Stephen Blake and David M. Welch.

ISBN 9780977503513

Published by David M. Welch 2006

Format: Paperback

102 pages, with 117 illustrations – mostly colour photos, but also drawings and archival black and white photos.

Price: $25 plus $6 postage and handling.

Availability: Available – order on line

 

Book Details

Front Cover of Making Fire. By Stephen Blake and Dvaid M. Welch.Book back cover of Making Fire. By Stephen Blake and Dvaid M. Welch.

 

Contents

Contents page of Making Fire by Stephen Blake and David M. Welch

Chapter One deals with ancient fire making by different indigenous people of the world.

Aranda men in central Australia rubbing the sharp edge of a hardwood spearthrower over a softwood shield to make fire. 1896. Spencer and Gillen. Aranda men in central Australia rubbing the sharp edge of a hardwood spearthrower over a softwood shield to make fire. 1896. Spencer and Gillen.

Chapter Two describes Australian Aboriginal methods of fire making – the hand drill, and the fire saw using a spearthrower cut across a shield, a boomerang over a shield or split stick, or a piece of wood over the dried cracks in a fallen log.

The remaining chapters describe and illustrate, in precise detail, practical demonstrations of fire making using two sticks: the hand drill, bow drill, fire saw and fire plough. The advantages and disadvantages of each method, pitfalls and troubleshooting advice are given, allowing the reader to achieve these methods.

If you were lost in bushland, making a fire is an essential way of attracting attention to help searchers find you. Making Fire gives you the skills to do this.

Aranda men in central Australia rubbing the sharp edge of a hardwood spearthrower over a softwood shield to make fire. 1896. Spencer and Gillen. Larrakia man, Alfie May, demonstrates the hand drill method of fire making. Darwin, Northern Territory. 2006.
Stephen Blake using a crude stone tool to gouge a recess in the lower wood. Stephen Blake using a crude stone tool to gouge a recess in the lower wood.
Stephen Blake demonstrating the hand drill method of making fire. Stephen Blake demonstrating the hand drill method of making fire.
Hot ember forms beside the base stick. Hot ember forms beside the base stick.
After transferring this to the tinder, blowing produces smoke and then a flame. After transferring this to the tinder, blowing produces smoke and then a flame.
Demonstrating the fire saw method. Demonstrating the fire saw method.
Demonstrating the fire plough method. Demonstrating the fire plough method.