Coolamon and spun hair

Like most Aboriginal art and cultural centres, Mangkaja is developing a diverse collection including ‘old’ artefacts as a way of documenting the history and culture of the many groups in the Fitzroy valley. Many of the objects, such as this coolamon and spun hair, were collected or purchased by travellers, station workers and others, who passed through the area and have subsequently returned them to Mangkaja. Coolamons were used extensively by women, whilst women of all ages cut their hair for spinning hair string to be worn in ceremonies.