Indigenous Weather Knowledge

Kaurna calendar

There are four distinct weather periods recognised in the Kaurna seasonal cycle, as well as winds which can act as seasonal indicators. The mapping of Kaurna seasons to the Australian calendar is approximate as the seasons are very changable.

 

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Warltati Summer January-March Hot season Warlta - Hot, heat and Warmth	Parnati Autumn April-June Windy season Waitpi - Windy	Kudlila Winter July-September Wet season Kudlinthi - To wash the earth	Wirltuti Spring October-December Mild warm season Wirltu - The Eagle's Foot constellation

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Permission to use the Kaurna seasonal calendar and related information on the Indigenous Weather Knowledge website is given by the Elders/Directors of Kaurna.

Kaurna seasons

Navigate back up to the calendar overview with the links at the end of each season.

 

 

Learn more about the Kaurna seasonal cycle:

• Download the graphic calendar with its seasons (PDF)
• Download the text seasonal descriptions (PDF)

Thank you to the SA Museum for providing the image of well-known Kaurna Elder Ivaritji Wartapukarra – seen within the Kaurna Seasonal Calendar Wheel wrapped in possum skin. The photo was taken in 1928

 

Thank you to the Art Gallery of South Australia for providing images of works of art from their collection to illustrate the Kaurna Seasonal Calendar Wheel.

 

detail: J. W. Giles after George French Angas, Rapid Bay, encampment of Yankallilla blacks, 1846-47; South Australian Government Grant 1966

 

detail: J. W. Giles after George French Angas, Coast scene near Rapid Bay, sunset. Natives fishing with nets, 1847; Gift of Mr Keith Angas 1945

 

detail: Martha Berkeley, Mount Lofty from The Terrace, Adelaide, c.1840; South Australian Government Grant 1935

 

detail: Alexander Schramm, An Aboriginal encampment, near the Adelaide foothills, 1854; South Australian Government Grant 1976

Warltati - Summer

Warltati - Summer (approximately January, February, March)

• Indicators
  • Warlta (hot, heat and warmth)
  • Astronomical indicator is the Sun (Tirntu). The sun cross co-ordinates on the northwest corner of Victoria Square in early January
  • Piturru (thunder)
  • Karntu (lightning)
  • Pulturru (dry breeze)
• Plant and animal indicators
  • Kangaroo chief supply of food
  • Yabbies come out of the mud
• Seasonal lifestyle
  • A conference for all the nations to exchange knowledge and trade
  • Controlled, low burning of fires lit in foothills
  • Grey Teal fly north if the Murray Darling Basin floods

Calendar

Parnati - Autumn

Parnati - Autumn (approximately April, May, June)

• Indicators
  • In April, Parna, a star near the Moon on the lower left side. Partinthi (sparkle)
  • Pukarra (north/west wind)
  • Cold mornings with Kudmu (fog/dew) on the ground
  • highest rainfall causing kuntu and yartala (flooding), restricting movement
  • Waadlawarnka (fallen trees)
    
    
• Plant and Animal Indicators
  • Mullet netted in shallows during high tides
  • Small stone fruits eaten
  • Roots, possums, kangaroos, wallabies and bandicoots caught and eaten
  • Wild tobacco leaves/flower chewed and small stone fruits eaten
  • Roots, yams, wild cabbage, seeds eaten
  • Yellowfin whiting, mulloway, salmon trout in estuaries
  • Reed beds turn to boggy swamp, birdlife plentiful
    
    
• Seasonal Lifestyle
  • Wattle gum used to cut canoes and make shelters - bark stripped from trees
  • Movement inland towards foothills shelters built from fallen limbs
  • Skin rugs and seaweed cloaks were made for Kudlila (winter)

Calendar Calendar

Kudlila - Winter

Kudlila - Winter (approximately July, August, September)

• Indicator
  • Kudlinthi (to wash) - winter is when the earth is washed
  • Wartapukkara (north/west wind, tempestuous weather)
    
• Plant and Animal Indicators
  • Vegetables, grubs mainly eaten
  • Bloodworms in mud
  • Ducks/water birds nesting
    
    
• Seasonal Lifestyle
  • Grubs collected from west sclerophyll scrub covering Mount Lofty Ranges - gum from Acacia trees collected for eating

Calendar

Wirltuti - Spring

Wirltuti - Spring (approximately October, November, December)

• Indicators
  • The Southern Cross in Kaurna culture is referred to as Wirltu (eagle's foot or eagle).  Wirltuti is indicated by the position of the Southern Cross in October
  • Mild warm temperatures
  • Purta (to burn and blaze or rage like a storm) refers to the seasonal winds
  • Warri (wind), Piturru (thunder) and Karntu (lightning)
• Plant and Animal Indicators
  • Eggs of young birds, lizards eaten
  • Blue crabs, garfish abundant in shallows, shellfish, crustaceans collected
  • Grass tree: heart of tree eaten raw
  • Yabbies come out of mud
  • Tiger, Brown and Black snakes and lizards come out of hibernation
    
    
• Seasonal Lifestyle
  • Head back towards the coast
  • Movement over plains to reed beds behind dunes
  • Curing skins

Thank you to the SA Museum for providing the image of well-known Kaurna Elder Ivaritji – seen within the Kaurna Seasonal Calendar Wheel wrapped in possum skin. The photo was taken in 1928.

NOTE: Thank you to the Art Gallery of South Australia for providing the images of the paintings inside the Kaurna Seasonal Calendar Wheel. Please note those four images have been cropped.

J. W. Giles, lithographer, detail: Rapid Bay, encampment of Yankallilla blacks plate 39 from 'South Australia Illustrated', 667G73.

J. W. Giles, lithographer, detail: Coast scene near Rapid Bay, sunset. Natives fishing with nets plate 21 from 'South Australia Illustrated', 455G17.

Martha Berkeley, detail: Mount Lofty from The Terrace, Adelaide, 0.851.

Alexander Schramm, An Aboriginal encampment, near the Adelaide foothills, 761HP1