Was 'Boomerang' really invented in Australia?
- theexploreroffice
- Sep 27
- 2 min read
The short answer: No.
The oldest boomerang discovered wasn’t found in Australia at all — it was unearthed in Poland, carved from a mammoth tusk, and is roughly 40,000 years old. By comparison, the oldest boomerangs found in Australia are around 12,000 years old.
Two Kinds of Boomerangs
There are actually two very different kinds of boomerangs:
Returning boomerangs – lightweight and aerodynamically shaped to curve back to the thrower.
Non-returning boomerangs (kylies or karlies) – heavier, longer sticks designed to fly straight.
While returning boomerangs are famous today, non-returning sticks were far more common historically, especially for hunting.
How Aboriginal Australians Used Them
Indigenous Australians used boomerangs in ingenious ways:
Hunting birds – Hunters would throw non-returning boomerangs into flocks. Some birds were struck directly, but more often the startled flocks would veer off into waiting nets.
Ceremony and sport – Returning boomerangs were also used in contests of skill, training, and ritual.
Why We Associate Boomerangs with Australia
If boomerangs were used across the world, why do we think of them as uniquely Australian?
The name itself – The word boomerang comes from the Darug language of the Sydney region.
Local ecology – Bows and arrows replaced throwing sticks in many parts of the world, but in much of Australia, the trees suitable for making flexible bows were scarce. Hardwoods that bent naturally at angles, however, were perfect for crafting boomerangs and kylies.
Cultural identity – Over time, boomerangs became a powerful symbol of Aboriginal ingenuity and, later, a shorthand for Australia in global popular culture.
References
Smithsonian Magazine — The World’s Oldest Boomerang Is Even Older Than Scientists Thought (2022)
Kendall Davis — History of the Boomerang
Wikimedia Incubator — Kylie (Boomerang)
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