The luxury of leisure in Aboriginal societies: a commentary

ABSTRACT

Johan Huizinga (1872-1945), distinguished Dutch historian and philosopher of culture, called the play element in human culture Homo ludens [Huizinga, Johann. 1938. Homo Ludens: A Study of the Play Element in Culture. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul. (1945 edition)]. Play involves time out from work - leisure embracing respite, repose, amusement, fun and games, even watching games. Leisure and physical exertion are key moderators of stress-illness relationships, significantly safeguarding against suicide. For Aborigines it is also an avenue out of anger. Australia's Aborigines once had a multitude of traditional pastimes, most now lost, some re-found [see Edwards, Ken. 2009. “Traditional Games of a Timeless Land: Play Cultures in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities.” Australian Aboriginal Studies (2): 32-43]. Many men took to Western sports, excelling in Australian Rules football, boxing, cricket, darts, professional athletics and rugby league. Traditionally, food-gathering was essential but also leisure and pleasure. Whether leisured respite or organized sporting competition, clans beset by serious illness need venues - and Aboriginal access to facilities falls far short of what is needed and what is available to mainstream Australia.

KEYWORDS:

• Leisure
• sport
• protectors of health and suicide
• lack of access

Acknowledgements

My thanks to friends and colleagues who brought me up to date on sport and leisure urban, rural and remote communities: Harry Bardwell (Perth), Carolyn Davey (Fitzroy Crossing, WA), Dick Kimber (Alice Springs), Bennie Lew Fatt (Darwin), Gary Osmond (Brisbane), Murray Phillips (Brisbane), Joanne Selfe (Walgett/Sydney), Matthew Stephen (Darwin), Graeme Ward (Canberra/Wadeye), Alan Rosen (Wilcannia/Sydney). Lisa Marcussen (AIATSIS, Canberra) provided a sport and leisure bibliography. Paul Tatz (Katoomba, NSW), suggested ideas and Douglas Booth (Kamloops, British Columbia) vetted the draft essay.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1 Originally known as Bathurst Island mission, then Nguiu and now Wurrumiyanga.

2 Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) (2009).

3 Named after the Australian Rules football legend, born in Darwin.

4 Australian Rules Football is an 18-a-side game, with kicking and handling across an oval field up to 185 m long and 155 m wide wing to wing. Played over four quarters, the aim is to kick the oval ball between two centre goalposts for 6 points and between two sets of outer posts for 1 point.

5 Rugby league is a more international game, with 13-a-side. It derives from then strictly amateur game of rugby union, beginning in 1908, so that players could be paid.

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Colin Tatz

Colin Tatz is an emeritus professor of Politics and now an honorary lecturer in Politics and International Relations at the Australian National University in Canberra. He writes and teaches in the fields of comparative race politics, genocide, migration studies, suicide and sports history.