Recently read Bill Gammages book, (The Largest Estate on Earth, I think) about how the aborigines managed virtually the entirety of Australia with fire. Much more complex than I would have imagined.
The result of 60,000 years of learning and practice resulted in what the earlier explorers and settlers described as 'parkland', gentlemens parks', etc, virtually everywhere. Interestingly he claims that there were less trees in Australia in 1788, than after the invasion of Europeans, but that even in drought the countryside was green and lush grassland, with widely spaced trees.
The advantages of this kind of management was to promote various foods for different seasons and conditions. It also prevented wildfires, which kills much of the flora that was valuable.
In the words of a NT woman, "you Europeans work too hard. We just go and get it." They knew where to get what they wanted because they had already prepared the ground before hand, with fire.
In Bills terms "they farmed but were not farmers", the difference being management of the land for food production, but not being sedentary in terms of mobility. They didn't need to stay close to their crops and harvests as there were virtually no raiding or war. There were boundaries for each tribe, clan and family group, which were governed by totems and beliefs which were attached to the land (the dreaming), which required management based on spiritual attachment, and allocation to, specific areas . (This latter makes a joke of 'Terra Nullius'). In times of surplus, it was virtually mandatory that others tribes were permitted to travel into the area to partake.
I very interesting book, if a bit like swimming through molasses at times.
Feel like sparking up the reserve out the back now
