Woomera (spear-thrower)

For other uses, see Woomera.
The woomera in this picture is the wooden object at left
Mokare with spear and woomera, another woomera lies at his feet.

A woomera is an Australian Aboriginal wooden spear-throwing device.[1][2][3] Similar to an atlatl, it serves as an extension of the human arm, enabling a spear to travel at a greater speed and force than possible with only the arm.

  1. ^ Phyllis Mary Kaberry, Aboriginal Woman, Sacred and Profane. Gregg International, Westmead, Kent 1970. p14 "The Aborigines generally use a spear-thrower (noslal) and a shovel-spear (djinad), the fashioning of which is a long and delicate process. The blade made of iron, mudagandji, must be welded into an oval shape varying from three to five ..."
  2. ^ Mitchell Rolls, Murray Johnson, Historical Dictionary of Australian Aborigines, Scarecrow Press, 2010. p157 "SPEAR-THROWER. It is made of Mulga Wood. A wooden implement that has a projection peg either carved into or secured to the butt, the spear-thrower greatly increased the range and accuracy of spears hurled by Aboriginal hunters. It could also be used for a ..."
  3. ^ Linley Erin Hall, The Laws of Motion: An Anthology Of Current Thought, 2005. p66, "In Australia the spear thrower is popularly called a woomera, one of the many Aboriginal names for a spear thrower"