Our country, our healer: exploring the traditional lithotherapeutics of the Aboriginal pharmacopoeia

Aboriginal people of the Greater Hunter region of New South Wales had access to two exceptional geological formations, which provided them with access to valuable mineral resources. This thesis documents the production and trade of traditional Aboriginal lithotherapeutics (mineral medicines) and contributes to filling the gap that exists in our knowledge of the non-botanical medicines of the Aboriginal pharmacopoeia. This thesis explores the Aboriginal use, manufacture, and trade of these locally produced mineral medicines and the impact of colonisation on these important cultural practices.