Prehistory of Australia

The prehistory of Australia is the period between the first human habitation of the Australian continent and the colonisation of Australia in 1788, which marks the start of consistent written documentation of Australia. This period has been variously estimated, with most evidence suggesting that it goes back between 50,000 and 65,000 years. This era is referred as prehistory rather than history because knowledge of this time period does not derive from written documentation. However, some argue that Indigenous oral tradition should be accorded an equal status.

The nomadic hunter-gatherer lifestyle is no longer considered the dominant nutritional style prior to colonisation, there is extensive evidence of land management by practices such as complex gardening, cultural burning, and in some areas, agriculture, fish farming, and permanent settlements.