The Mind Creative March 2014
To my knowledge, the Australian aboriginal use of puppetry has not
been identified. In talking to an elder, I was told that it had been
used in sacred women’s business but there does not seem to any
evidence of the use of puppets. Of course, the puppets may have
been temporary creations. With permission, a study of the use of
puppetry in Australia pre white settlement may contribute to
strengthening our intercultural bonds.
Since white settlement, Australian puppeteers have been bower
birds borrowing from other traditions. They have been strongly
influenced not only by European traditions but also those of Asia,
especially