Nutrition studies (1948) of nomadic Aborigines in Arnhem Land, northern Australia

During 1948, scientists (an anthropologist, a nutritionist and a plant ecologist) of the American-Australian Scientific Expedition to Arnhem Land observed the daily activities of families of nomadic Aborigines in the monsoonal climate of Groote Eylandt, Bickerton Island, Port Bradshaw, Yirrkala and Oenpelli, Northern Territory. The close relationship between the hunter-gatherers and the marine and terrestrial landscape is described at Hemple Bay in Port Langdon, north-eastern Groote Eylandt. Food-gathering from both land and sea was followed hourly to assess the nutritional value of 'bush tucker' in comparison with that of natives eating freshly picked fruit and vegetables grown in the garden of the Umbakumba Settlement. The ecological distributions of food plants used by the Aborigines, together with their seasonality, determined the migratory pattern of the hunter-gatherers throughout the year. With only a few exceptions, the diets which were seen at the four camps in Arnhem Land were well-balanced and provided amounts of most nutrients comparable with the recommended international dietary allowances. Seasonal and regional variations in food supply were a constant problem to these nomadic people.