ABSTRACT
This work began by looking at popular notions which see Aboriginal environmental knowledge as more knowledgeable about the Australian environment than comparable modern science knowledge. In other words these notions assessed Aboriginal environmental knowledge highly in terms of status compared to science. It was shown that the basis for such celebrations was usually disenchantment with the culture of science and a romantic reaching towards Aborigines for what seemed to be missing in mainstream culture. There is a commonsense basis for these ideas in that it can be readily granted that the Aboriginal heritage includes a great deal more knowledge of Australian nature than does the white Australian heritage. However no detailed knowledge of Aboriginal environmental ways was found to be associated with these ideas1.
