How did Aboriginal groups in South Australia trade across long distances?

Aboriginal groups in South Australia engaged in extensive long-distance trade that served as a vital mechanism for fostering intergroup harmony and reinforcing social alliances rather than accumulating material wealth.12

These exchanges followed intricate, well-defined routes that crisscrossed the continent. Goods were passed from one group to another in a relay-like pattern. For example, items such as boomerangs and red ochre were traded along these paths, while pearl shells from the Kimberleys eventually reached the Great Australian Bight. In the region east of Lake Eyre, the Dieri people traveled hundreds of miles to exchange red ochre for pituri, a form of chewing tobacco.1

Trade was not conducted through markets; instead, it was deeply embedded in kinship and religious obligations. This complex network of exchange allowed for the movement of valued items across vast distances, including routes that extended as far north as Cape York in Queensland.12