Aboriginal people belonging to Bondi and the broader Coastal Sydney cultural area made tools using various types of wood, bone, shell and stone. One such area in which Aboriginal people made these tools was a camp in the sand dunes near Bondi Beach. This location was referred to as a “workshop” in the early 1900s due to the volume of tools and related materials found there. Similar “workshops” have been found in Curl Curl, Dee Why, Cronulla and Botany. However, the Bondi location was recorded as the most extensive. Some of the tools found in this camp are as follows:

Spear tips: Referred to as “Bondi Points”, thousands of backed spearpoints made of flaked ancient river cobbles were uncovered by a storm in 1899. Many of the these “Bondi Points” were thought to be barbs to be affixed to a combat spear. These spears, which had a shaft measuring 8 to 10 feet long, had these stone barbs inserted into grooves at the head of the spear.

Axes: Stone axe heads were also found at the Bondi camp. These axe heads could be used for a range of purposes such as chopping wood or other materials. Some of this axe heads were made of stone that was not found in Coastal Sydney. This confirms that the traditional owners of Coastal Sydney participated in extensive trade networks.

Engravers: Implements used to engrave wood were also found at the Bondi camp. These engraving tools were recorded as being used to elaborate line-based designs on boomerangs and other weapons. They were shaped in a fashion which made them easily gripped using thumb and forefinger.

Courtesy the Gujaga Foundation and the Australian Museum.