View source for Boomerang

{{Short description|Thrown tool and weapon}}
{{About|the wooden implement|other uses}}
{{Use Australian English|date=March 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2023}}
[[File:"Egyptian boomerang" (3210654118).jpg|thumb|An [[Egypt|Egyptian]] boomerang; [[National Archaeological Museum, Athens]], Greece.]]
[[File:Australia Cairns Boomerang.jpg|thumb|Australian Aboriginal boomerangs]]
A '''boomerang''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|b|uː|m|ə|r|æ|ŋ}}) is a thrown tool typically constructed with [[airfoil]] sections and designed to spin about an axis perpendicular to the direction of its flight, designed to return to the thrower. The origin of the word is from [[Australian Aboriginal languages|an Aboriginal Australian language]] of the [[Sydney]] region. Its original meaning, which is preserved in official competitions, refers only to returning objects, not to [[throwing stick]]s, which were also used for hunting by various peoples both in Australia and around the world. However, the term "non-returning boomerang" is also in general use. Various forms of boomerang-like designs were traditionally and in some cases are still used by some groups of [[Aboriginal Australians]] for hunting. The tools were known by various names in the many Aboriginal languages prior to [[Colonisation of Australia|colonisation]]. The oldest surviving Aboriginal boomerang, now held in the [[South Australian Museum]], was found in a [[peat bog]] in [[South Australia]], dated to [[10th millennium BC|10,000&nbsp;BC]]. Historically, boomerangs have been used for [[Hunting in Australia|hunting]], sport, and entertainment, and are made in various shapes and sizes to suit different purposes. Ancient "boomerangs", used for hunting, have also been discovered in Egypt, the Americas, and Europe, although it is unclear whether any of these were of the returning type.

==History==
[[File:Australia Boomerang Distribution.PNG|thumb|Types of boomerangs in Australia before European contact]]
[[File:Evolution of Boomerang.jpg|thumb|Various types of boomerangs from Australia, India, and Africa]]
Boomerangs  were, historically, used as hunting weapons, [[Percussion instrument|percussive musical instruments]], battle [[Club (weapon)|clubs]], fire-starters, [[decoy]]s for hunting [[waterfowl]], and as recreational play toys. The smallest boomerang may be less than {{convert|10|cm|abbr=on}} from tip to tip, and the largest over {{convert|180|cm|abbr=on}} in length.<ref name="Largest">{{cite web |author=Bailey, Ted |title=World's largest boomerang |website=flight-toys.com |url=http://www.flight-toys.com/boomerang/boomnews/worldslargestboom.html |access-date=17 October 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080907071817/http://www.flight-toys.com/boomerang/boomnews/worldslargestboom.html |archive-date=7 September 2008}}</ref> 

Depictions of boomerangs being thrown at animals, such as kangaroos, appear in some of the oldest rock art in the world, the [[Indigenous Australian art|Indigenous Australian rock art]] of the [[Kimberley (Western Australia)|Kimberley]] region, which is potentially up to 50,000 years old.<ref>{{cite news |title= Kimberley rock art could be among oldest in the world |date=2 November 2015 |website= ABC News |publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]] |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-11-02/indigenous-rock-art-could-be-among-oldest-in-world/6906476 |url-status=live |access-date=7 February 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160207211345/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-11-02/indigenous-rock-art-could-be-among-oldest-in-world/6906476 |archive-date=7 February 2016}}</ref> According to reports the oldest European surviving boomerang, that was found in a cave in [[Poland]] in 1985, dates back about 40,000 years old.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-06-25 |title=World's oldest boomerang older than thought, but not Australian |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cren818q5x1o |access-date=2025-06-26 |website=www.bbc.com |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Talamo |first1=Sahra |last2=Casaccia |first2=Nicole |last3=Richards |first3=Michael P. |last4=Wacker |first4=Lukas |last5=Tassoni |first5=Laura |last6=Nadachowski |first6=Adam |last7=Kraszewska |first7=Anna |last8=Kowal |first8=Magda |last9=Skłucki |first9=Jakub |last10=Barrington |first10=Christopher |last11=Kelly |first11=Monica |last12=Tait |first12=Frankie |last13=Williams |first13=Mia |last14=Figus |first14=Carla |last15=Vazzana |first15=Antonino |date=2025-06-25 |title=Boomerang and bones: Refining the chronology of the Early Upper Paleolithic at Obłazowa Cave, Poland |journal=PLOS ONE |language=en |volume=20 |issue=6 |article-number=e0324911 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0324911 |doi-access=free |issn=1932-6203 |pmc=12194152 |pmid=40560845}}</ref> The oldest surviving [[Aboriginal Australians|Australian Aboriginal]] boomerang was found in a [[peat bog]] in the Wyrie Swamp of [[South Australia]] in 1973.<ref>{{cite web |title=Earliest evidence of the boomerang in Australia |publisher=[[National Museum of Australia]] |date=13 April 2018 |url=https://www.nma.gov.au/defining-moments/resources/earliest-evidence-of-the-boomerang-in-australia#:~:text=The%20oldest%20Australian%20boomerangs%20yet,are%20about%2020%2C000%20years%20old. |access-date=19 December 2024}}</ref> It was dated to [[10th millennium BC|10,000&nbsp;BC]] and is held by the [[South Australian Museum]] in [[Adelaide]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Boandik leaders oppose sale of Aboriginal artefacts collected by teacher |website=ABC News |date=19 December 2024 |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-12-19/lucindale-teacher-aboriginal-artefact-sale-opposed/104735148 |access-date=19 December 2024}}</ref> According to Tony Butz, former history teacher and linguist and founder of the Boomerang Throwing Association of New South Wales, "the returning boomerang was unknown to Aboriginal peoples in most of the [[Northern Territory]], all of [[Tasmania]], half of [[South Australia]] and the northern parts of [[Queensland]] and [[Western Australia]]. Roughly 60% of Aboriginal peoples used both returning boomerangs and non-returning hunting sticks, and therefore had words for them; a further 10% had only non-returning hunting sticks, and the remaining 30% used neither".<ref name=butz2003>{{cite web | title=Boomerang Association of Australia | website=boomerang.org.au | date=1 August 2003 | url=http://boomerang.org.au/articles/article-what-is-a-boomerang.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030602212422/http://boomerang.org.au/articles/article-what-is-a-boomerang.html | archive-date=2 June 2003 | access-date=15 May 2025}}</ref> Stencils and paintings of boomerangs appear in the rock art of [[Western New Guinea|West Papua]], including on [[Bird's Head Peninsula]] and [[Kaimana]], likely dating to the [[Last Glacial Maximum]] (24,000–16,000 BCE), when lower sea levels led to cultural continuity between Papua and [[Arnhem Land]] in Northern Australia.<ref>{{cite book |last=Arifin |first=Karina |year=2004 |title=Rock Art in West Papua |publisher=UNESCO Publishing |url=http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0013/001355/135558e.pdf |access-date=20 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170201235500/http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0013/001355/135558e.pdf |archive-date=1 February 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref> 

[[File:Obłazowa Cave Mammoth Tusk Boomerang.jpg|thumb|A boomerang made from a mammoth tusk found in the Obłazowa Cave]] 
Although traditionally thought of as Australian, similar weapons have been found also in ancient Europe, [[Egypt]], and [[North America]]. There is evidence of the use of non-returning weapons similar to boomerangs by the ancient Egyptians, the Native Americans of California and [[Arizona]], and inhabitants of [[South India]] for killing birds and rabbits.<ref name=Brittanica>{{cite encyclopedia |entry=Boomerang |encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica |title=Boomerang (Weaponry) |edition=Britannica Online Encyclopedia |entry-url=https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/73646/boomerang |access-date=25 January 2009 |url-status=live |archive-date=29 April 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090429192118/https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/73646/boomerang}}</ref> An 1883 study reported [[Ancient Egypt]]ian examples and African examples, but these were non-returning tools.<ref name=Rivers-1883>{{cite journal |author=Rivers, Pitt |year=1883 |title=On the Egyptian boomerang and its affinities |journal=The Journal of the Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland |volume=12 |pages=454–463|doi=10.2307/2841682 |jstor=2841682 |url=https://zenodo.org/record/1717077 |doi-access=free }}</ref> [[Hunting stick]]s discovered in Europe seem to have formed part of the [[Stone Age]] arsenal of weapons.<ref name=Boomer>{{cite web |title=Boomerang history |website=rangs.co.uk |url=http://www.rangs.co.uk/boomhistory.htm |access-date= 17 October 2008 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070630052119/http://www.rangs.co.uk/boomhistory.htm |archive-date= 30 June 2007}}</ref> A boomerang-like weapon discovered in [[Obłazowa Cave]] in the [[Carpathian Mountains]] in Poland and reported in 1987 was made of [[mammoth]]'s tusk. It is believed, based on [[Accelerator mass spectrometry|AMS dating]] of objects found with it, to be about 40,000 years old, the earliest certain find of this type of weapon in the world.<ref>{{cite web |last=Biel |first=Radosław |title=Najstarszy bumerang na świecie ma jednak 40 000 lat. Pochodzi z Małopolski |website=Archeologia.com.pl |date=1 July 2025 |url=https://archeologia.com.pl/najstarszy-bumerang-na-swiecie-ma-jednak-40-000-lat-pochodzi-z-malopolski/ |access-date=10 July 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231026101131/https://archeologia.com.pl/najstarszy-bumerang-na-swiecie-ma-jednak-40-000-lat-pochodzi-z-malopolski/ |archive-date=26 October 2023 |language=pl}}</ref><ref name=ValdeNowak-Nadachowski-Wolsan-1987>{{cite journal |last1=Valde-Nowak |first1=Pawel |first2=Adam |last2=Nadachowski |first3=Mieczyslaw |last3=Wolsan |date=1 October 1987 |title=Upper Palaeolithic boomerang made of a mammoth tusk in south Poland |journal=Nature |volume=329 |issue=6138 |pages=436–438 |doi=10.1038/329436a0 |bibcode=1987Natur.329..436V |s2cid=4361636 |url=http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v329/n6138/abs/329436a0.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160206074214/http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v329/n6138/abs/329436a0.html |archive-date=6 February 2016|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |title=Er fliegt! Wurfversuche mit dem Jungpaläolithischen Wurfgerät aus der Oblazowa-Höhle in den Polnischen Karpaten |lang=de |trans-title=It flies! Throwing experiments with the Upper Palaeolithic throwing device from the Oblazowa Cave in the Polish Carpathians |date=January–March 1995 |magazine=Bumerang Welt |issue=I/95 |url=https://www.bumerangs.de/bw-archiv/95/95103.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071031013513/http://www.bumerangs.de/bw-archiv/95/95103.htm |archive-date=31 October 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Paleolithic throwing object |website=Rediboom |url=http://www.rediboom.com/englisch/geschich/polen.html |url-status=usurped |access-date= 6 September 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081205065827/http://www.rediboom.com/englisch/geschich/polen.html |archive-date=5 December 2008}} – Throwing experiments with the Palaeolithic throwing object from the Oblazowa in the Polish Carpathians</ref> In the Netherlands, boomerangs (''[[cateia]]'') have been found in [[Vlaardingen]] and [[Velsen]] from the first century BC. [[Tutankhamun|King Tutankhamun]] owned a collection of boomerangs.<ref name=Boomer/>

[[File:4 boomerangs du tombeau de Toutânkhamon.jpg|thumb|4 boomerangs from the tomb of Pharaoh [[Tutankhamun]] (1336–1326 BC)]]
No one knows for sure how the returning boomerang was invented, but some modern boomerang makers speculate that it developed from the flattened throwing stick, still used by [[Aboriginal Australians]] and other indigenous peoples around the world, including the [[Navajo people|Navajo]] in North America. The curving flight characteristic of returning boomerangs was probably first noticed by early hunters trying to "tune" their throwing sticks to fly straight.<ref name=Boomer/>{{unreliable source|date=May 2025}} 

It is thought that the shape and elliptical flight path of the returning boomerang makes it useful for hunting birds and small animals, or that noise generated by the movement of the boomerang through the air, or, by a skilled thrower, lightly clipping leaves of a tree whose branches house birds, would help scare the birds towards the thrower. It is further supposed that this was used to frighten flocks or groups of birds into nets that were usually strung up between trees or thrown by hidden hunters.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Lloyd |first1=John |last2=Mitchinson |first2=John |year=2006 |title= The Book of General Ignorance |publisher=Mackays of Chatham |isbn=978-0-571-23368-7 |page=244}}</ref> In southeastern Australia, it is claimed that boomerangs were made to hover over a flock of ducks; mistaking it for a hawk, the ducks would dive away, toward hunters armed with nets or clubs.<ref name=":0">{{cite book |last = Jones |first = Philip |year = 1996  |title = Boomerang: Behind an Australian Icon |publisher = Wakefield Press |isbn = 978-1-86254-382-9}}</ref>

[[File:Yuendumu Gold 01.jpg|thumb|Aboriginal man with boomerang, [[Yuendumu]], 2018]]
Traditionally, most hunting sticks used by Aboriginal groups in Australia were non-returning. These weapons, sometimes called "throwsticks" or "kylies", were used for hunting a variety of prey, from [[kangaroo]]s to parrots; at a range of about {{convert|100|m|abbr=on}}, a {{convert|2|kg|abbr=on}} non-returning boomerang could inflict mortal injury to a large animal.<ref name=":0"/> 

Recent evidence also suggests that boomerangs were used as war weapons.<ref>{{cite news |title=Boomerangs were lethal weapons of war, skeleton suggests |date=20 September 2016 |website=National Geographic Australia  |url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com.au/australia/boomerangs-were-lethal-weapons-of-war-skeleton-suggests.aspx |url-status=usurped |access-date=15 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190803115840/https://www.nationalgeographic.com.au/australia/boomerangs-were-lethal-weapons-of-war-skeleton-suggests.aspx |archive-date=3 August 2019}}</ref>

==Etymology==
The origin of the term is uncertain, although it is known to be Australian.<ref name=anu>{{cite web | title=Meanings and origins of Australian words and idioms | website=[[ANU]]. School of Literature, Languages and Linguistics | date=19 October 2017 | url=https://slll.cass.anu.edu.au/centres/andc/meanings-origins/b | access-date=15 May 2025}}</ref>  

[[David Collins (lieutenant governor)|David Collins]] listed "Wo-mur-rāng" as one of eight Aboriginal "Names of clubs" in 1798.<ref>{{cite book |chapter-url= https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/12565 |title= An Account of the English Colony in New South Wales |last= Collins |first= David |year= 1798 |chapter= Appendix XII (Language) |page= 554 |access-date= 28 August 2020 |archive-date= 31 August 2020 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200831041637/http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/12565 |url-status= live}}</ref> but was probably referring to the [[Woomera (spear-thrower)|woomera]], which is actually a [[spear]]-thrower. An anonymous 1790 [[manuscript]] on Aboriginal languages of New South Wales reported "Boo-mer-rit" as "the Scimiter".<ref>[http://www.hrelp.org/dawes/img/Boo-mer-rit.gif Image of handwritten note]. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091014210056/http://www.hrelp.org/dawes/img/Boo-mer-rit.gif |date=14 October 2009}}, in [http://www.hrelp.org/dawes/ The notebooks of William Dawes on the Aboriginal language of Sydney]. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091017022512/http://www.hrelp.org/dawes/ |date=17 October 2009}}. [http://www.hrelp.org/ The Hans Rausing Endangered Languages Project]. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120729162403/http://www.hrelp.org/ |date=29 July 2012}}.</ref> 

The first written record of a boomerang's return flight was made by a French-born [[Ensign (rank)|ensign]] of the [[New South Wales Corps]], Francis Louis Barrallier in November, 1802, but there had been reports of boomerangs in action by colonist of Sydney in the first few years of the colony.<ref name=butz2003/> At [[Farm Cove, New South Wales|Farm Cove]] ([[Port Jackson]]), in December 1804, a weapon was witnessed during a tribal [[Skirmisher|skirmish]], as recorded in the ''[[Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser]]'':<ref name=SGNSWA-1804-12-23>{{cite news |title=The beginning of the week presented a native warfare&nbsp;... |date=23 December 1804 |newspaper=[[Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser]] |page=2, col.&nbsp;3, last&nbsp;¶ |via=National Library of Australia |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article626558 |access-date=3 March 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220409231412/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/626558 |archive-date=9 April 2022}}</ref>
{{blockquote|... the white spectators were justly astonished at the dexterity and incredible force with which a bent, edged waddy resembling slightly a Turkish [[scimitar|scimytar]], was thrown by [[Bungaree|Bungary]], a native distinguished by his remarkable courtesy. The weapon, thrown at 20 or 30&nbsp;yards [18 or 27&nbsp;m] distance, twirled round in the air with astonishing velocity, and alighting on the right arm of one of his opponents, actually rebounded to a distance not less than 70 or 80&nbsp;yards [64 or 73&nbsp;m], leaving a horrible contusion behind, and exciting universal admiration.}}

One source asserts that the term entered the language in 1827, adapted from an [[Australian Aboriginal languages|Aboriginal language]] of near [[Sydney]], [[New South Wales]], but mentions a variant, "wo-mur-rang", which it dates to 1798.<ref>{{cite dictionary |title=Boomerang |url=http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=boomerang&searchmode=none  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140304172808/http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=boomerang&searchmode=none |archive-date=4 March 2014 |dictionary=Online Etymology Dictionary}}</ref> In 1822, it was described in detail and recorded as a "bou-mar-rang" in the language of the [[Dharawal]] people (a sub-group of the [[Darug]]) of the [[Georges River]] near [[Port Jackson]]. The Dharawal used other words for their hunting sticks but used "boomerang" to refer to a returning [[Throwing stick|throw-stick]].<ref name=butz2003/><ref>{{cite journal|title= Boomerang, boomerang, thou spirit of Australia! |first =Frederick |last= Ludowyk| url=https://slll.cass.anu.edu.au/sites/default/files/andc/ozwords_oct09.pdf| journal= [[Ozwords]]| date=October 2009|volume= 18 |issue =2}}</ref> Similarly, other Aboriginal peoples used different words for [[throwing stick]]s (non-returning) and returning weapons.<ref name=butz2003/> The word was also spelt "bomerang", "bommerang", "bomring", "boomereng", "boomering", "bumerang", and other variants.<ref name=anu/>

The word was adopted into [[International English]], and also started to be used with a [[Figure of speech|figurative]] meaning. An early example of its adoption into [[American English]] is found in ''[[Boston Daily Advertiser]]'' in 1846. From the 1850s, it started to be used as a verb in Australian English.<ref name=anu/>

=== Return mechanism ===
Some boomerangs come back and some do not. Returning boomerangs can be grouped into two main flight categories.

;Circular return: Changes direction during flight. The slightly twisted object rotates, generating a lift force perpendicular to the surface of the boomerang. The horizontal component of the lift becomes the centripetal force in flight, and the boomerang moves in a circular motion. The vertical component of the lift prevents the boomerang from falling.
;Straight out-and-back return: The boomerang does not change direction during flight. A spinning object will have a force that tries to maintain its direction. The boomerang will maintain its orientation. The boomerang glides back through the air.

==Traditional styles and uses==
{{multiple image
| align             = right
| total_width       = 325
| image1            = Returning Boomerang Oc1839,0620.13.jpg
| alt1              = 
| caption1          = 
| image2            = Hooked Boomerang Oc1903,0404.73.jpg
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| caption2          = 
| image3            = Wedge Boomerang Oc1894,-.308.jpg
| alt3              =
| caption3          =
| footer            = Three types of Australian Aboriginal boomerangs at the [[British Museum]]: a returning variant, a hooked melee "Number 7" variant, also known as a "Kylie", and a wedge boomerang
}}
According to the Boomerang Throwing Association of New South Wales, only returning devices should be referred to as boomerangs, per the origins of the word.<ref name=butz2003/> However, the term "non-returning boomerang" is used in common parlance to refer to a range of devices that are thrown.

One of the traditional uses of a boomerang was for hunting birds (including [[emu]]s), [[kangaroo]]s, and smaller marsupials. This type of boomerang was either the same width from end to end, or had a broad middle and tapered at either end, with thin edges. They could travel very fast and so were effective and dangerous.  Expert hunters are said to be able to kill an animal {{cvt|160|m}} away. Another hunting technique involves hanging nets among a group of trees, and when a flock of birds flies above them, boomerangs would be thrown above the birds to resemble a bird of prey such as a hawk. The spooked flock would swoop down to escape the hawk, and fly into the nets. The classic returning boomerang was never used in warfare, owing to its wide arc.<ref name=yarn>{{cite web | title=The Origins of the Boomerang | website=Yarn Marketplace | date=20 August 2020 | url=https://www.yarn.com.au/blogs/yarn-in-the-community/the-origins-of-the-boomerang | access-date=16 May 2025}}</ref>

Medium-weight "non-returning boomerangs" were sometimes used for fights at close quarters, by throwing them at the enemy, and larger ones (up to {{cvt|2|m}} were used as fighting sticks.<ref name=yarn/> Heavier and wider hunting sticks sometimes called "non-returning boomerangs" were used to kill fish trapped in rock pools at low tide, and could also be used as a [[digging stick]] to forage for [[root vegetable]]s and other uses.<ref name=yarn/>

Another use for boomerangs are in formal [[Aboriginal ceremony|dance ceremonies]], used both as [[percussion]] instruments (like [[clapsticks]]) and by dancers. Styles and decorations varied widely among clans and different Aboriginal groups across Australia, and were significant in the ceremonies.<ref name=yarn/>

Traditionally-made boomerangs take a long time to make. After obtaining a suitably-shaped piece of wood from a tree, it would be left to dry out for weeks, before the maker would sit scraping it back for days and days to achieve the required shape. Few are made by this method today, with some exceptions being in some remote areas of [[Western Australia]] and the [[Northern Territory]]. These are mostly non-returning boomerangs, used for hunting. In [[La Perouse, New South Wales|La Perouse]] in [[Sydney]], and on [[Palm Island, Queensland|Palm Island]], [[Queensland]], they are made for the tourist trade.<ref name=yarn/>

==Modern styles and uses==
[[File:Dale_Conrick_004.jpg|thumb|A boomerang throwing event in Alice Springs (Mparntwe), c. 1950s]]
[[File:Whittaker_087_J.jpg|thumb|Aboriginal men with boomerangs in Alice Springs (Mparntwe), c.1960s]]
[[File:sportbumerangs.jpg|thumb|Sport boomerangs]]
[[File:Boomerangs - melbourne show 2005.jpg|thumb|Boomerangs for sale at the 2005 Melbourne Show]]
Beginning in the later part of the twentieth century, there has been a bloom in the independent creation of unusually designed art boomerangs. These often have little or no resemblance to the traditional historical ones and on first sight some of these objects may not look like boomerangs at all. The use of modern thin plywoods and synthetic plastics have greatly contributed to their success. Designs are very diverse and can range from animal inspired forms, humorous themes, complex calligraphic and symbolic shapes, to the purely abstract. Painted surfaces are similarly richly diverse. Some boomerangs made primarily as art objects do not have the required aerodynamic properties to return.{{cn|date=May 2025}}

Boomerangs are mostly used for recreation today. Modern boomerangs used for sport can be made from Finnish birch [[plywood]], [[hardwood]], or plastics such as [[Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene|ABS]], [[polypropylene]], [[phenolic paper]], or [[Carbon fiber-reinforced polymer|carbon fibre-reinforced plastics]]. Most sport boomerangs typically weigh less than {{convert|100|g|abbr=on}}, with MTA boomerangs (boomerangs used for the maximum-time-aloft event) often under {{convert|25|g|abbr=on}}.{{cn|date=May 2025}} There are different types of throwing contests: accuracy of return; Aussie round; trick catch; [[maximum time aloft]]; fast catch; and endurance (see below).{{cn|date=May 2025}}

Boomerangs have also been suggested as an alternative to [[clay pigeons]] in shotgun sports, where the flight of the boomerang better mimics the flight of a bird offering a more challenging target.<ref>{{cite AV media |url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fwv2BhJEjDo |title= Aussie Boomerang Shootin' |date= 15 October 2012 |via= YouTube |access-date= 18 October 2012 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130201131536/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fwv2BhJEjDo |archive-date= 1 February 2013 |url-status= live}}</ref>

The modern boomerang is often [[computer-aided design]]ed with precision airfoils. The number of "wings" is often more than 2 as more lift is provided by 3 or 4 wings than by 2.<ref>[http://www.boomerangs.com/aerodynamics.html Boomerang Aerodynamics] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080807142646/http://www.boomerangs.com/aerodynamics.html |date=7 August 2008}}, [http://www.boomerangs.com/ boomerangs.com]. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060322212741/http://www.boomerangs.com/ |date=22 March 2006}}.</ref><ref>Saulius Pakalnis, [http://www.researchsupporttechnologies.com/boomerang_site/boomerang1.htm Aerodynamics of Boomerang] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100611140201/http://www.researchsupporttechnologies.com/boomerang_site/boomerang1.htm |date=11 June 2010}}, 21 April 2006, [http://www.researchsupporttechnologies.com/ researchsupporttechnologies.com] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100815094709/http://www.researchsupporttechnologies.com/ |date=15 August 2010}}.</ref> Among the latest inventions is a round-shaped boomerang, which has a different look but using the same returning principle as traditional boomerangs.<ref>[https://pdfpiw.uspto.gov/.piw?PageNum=0&docid=08608598&IDKey=B4AE0ACC2549&HomeUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fpatft.uspto.gov%2Fnetacgi%2Fnph-Parser%3FSect1%3DPTO2%2526Sect2%3DHITOFF%2526p%3D1%2526u%3D%25252Fnetahtml%25252FPTO%25252Fsearch-bool.html%2526r%3D8%2526f%3DG%2526l%3D50%2526co1%3DAND%2526d%3DPTXT%2526s1%3DBOOMERANG.TI.%2526OS%3DTTL%2FBOOMERANG%2526RS%3DTTL%2FBOOMERANG Round-shaped boomerang patent]. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220107155040/https://pdfpiw.uspto.gov/.piw?PageNum=0&docid=08608598&IDKey=B4AE0ACC2549&HomeUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fpatft.uspto.gov%2Fnetacgi%2Fnph-Parser%3FSect1%3DPTO2%2526Sect2%3DHITOFF%2526p%3D1%2526u%3D%25252Fnetahtml%25252FPTO%25252Fsearch-bool.html%2526r%3D8%2526f%3DG%2526l%3D50%2526co1%3DAND%2526d%3DPTXT%2526s1%3DBOOMERANG.TI.%2526OS%3DTTL%2FBOOMERANG%2526RS%3DTTL%2FBOOMERANG |date=7 January 2022}}. 8 July 2021</ref> This allows for safer catch for players.

==Aerodynamics==
[[File:Cross Boomerang Oc1933,0403.10.jpg|thumb|A cross-shaped toy boomerang at the [[British Museum]]]]
A boomerang is a [[throwing stick]] with [[Aerodynamics|aerodynamic]] properties, traditionally made of wood, which returns to the thrower after an elliptical flight.<ref>[https://archive.org/details/sim_scribners-magazine_1890-03_7_3/page/374/mode/2up?view=theater Baker, Horace (1890), "The Blackfellow and his Boomerang", ''Scribner's Magazine'', Vol.7, No.3, (March 1890), pp&nbsp;374-377.] ("Horace Baker, late chief-engraver to the ''[[The Picturesque Atlas of Australasia|Picturesque Atlas of Australasia]]'', is now in New York where he occasionally throws the boomerang, to the great astonishment and peril of the American nation": [https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-443508080/view?sectionId=nla.obj-511481609&partId=nla.obj-443546211#page/n8/mode/1up ''The Bulletin'', 18 January 1890, p.&nbsp;9]).</ref> "Classic" boomerangs usually follow a circular trajectory, or sometimes in the shape of a teardrop. Its range varies from {{cvt|3-60|m}}. Hunting, or non-returning, boomerangs, fly in a straight line, usually {{cvt|40-90|m}}. There are also long-range boomerangs, which differ in design and fly in an S-shape. Wind affects the flight paths of all types of boomerang.<ref name=how>{{cite web | title=How the boomerang flies | website= Decoboomerangs | url=https://decoboomerangs.com/en/article/how-a-boomerang-flies | access-date=16 May 2025}}</ref>

A returning boomerang is a rotating wing. It consists of two or more arms, or wings, connected at an angle; each wing is shaped as an [[airfoil]] section. Although it is not a requirement that a boomerang be in its traditional shape, it is usually flat. Boomerangs can be made for right- or left-handed throwers. The difference between right and left is subtle, the planform is the same but the leading edges of the aerofoil sections are reversed. A right-handed boomerang makes a counter-clockwise, circular flight to the left while a left-handed boomerang flies clockwise to the right. Most sport boomerangs weigh between {{convert|70|and|110|g|abbr=on}}, have a {{convert|250|–|300|mm|abbr=on}} wingspan, and a {{convert|20|–|40|m|abbr=on}} range.

A falling boomerang starts spinning, and most then fall in a spiral. When the boomerang is thrown with high spin, a boomerang flies in a curved rather than a straight line. When thrown correctly, a boomerang returns to its starting point. As the wing rotates and the boomerang moves through the air, the airflow over the wings creates lift on both "wings". However, during one-half of each blade's rotation, it sees a higher airspeed, because the rotation tip speed and the forward speed add, and when it is in the other half of the rotation, the tip speed subtracts from the forward speed. Thus if thrown nearly upright, each blade generates more lift at the top than the bottom.<ref name=hyper>{{cite web |url= http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/brng.html |title= Boomerang |work= gsu.edu |access-date= 8 May 2012 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120614185310/http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/brng.html |archive-date= 14 June 2012 |url-status= live}}</ref> While it might be expected that this would cause the boomerang to tilt around the axis of travel, because the boomerang has significant angular momentum, the [[gyroscopic precession]] causes the plane of rotation to tilt about an axis that is 90 degrees to the direction of flight, causing it to turn.<ref name=hyper/> When thrown in the horizontal plane, as with a [[Flying disc|Frisbee]], instead of in the vertical, the same gyroscopic precession will cause the boomerang to fly violently, straight up into the air and then crash.

Fast Catch boomerangs usually have three or more symmetrical wings (seen from above), whereas a Long Distance boomerang is most often shaped similar to a question mark.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.baggressive.com/copper/thumbnails.php?album=6 |title= baggressive.com |publisher= Baggressive.com |date= 19 April 2005 |access-date= 3 March 2010 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20081224082313/http://www.baggressive.com/copper/thumbnails.php?album=6 |archive-date= 24 December 2008 }}</ref> Maximum Time Aloft boomerangs mostly have one wing considerably longer than the other. This feature, along with carefully executed bends and twists in the wings help to set up an "auto-rotation" effect to maximise the boomerang's hover time in descending from the highest point in its flight.

Some boomerangs have [[turbulator]]s — bumps or pits on the top surface that act to increase the lift as boundary layer transition activators (to keep attached turbulent flow instead of laminar separation).

In 1992, German astronaut [[Ulf Merbold]] performed an experiment aboard [[Spacelab]] that established that boomerangs function in [[Weightlessness|zero gravity]] as they do on Earth. French Astronaut [[Jean-François Clervoy]] aboard Mir repeated this in 1997.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.flight-toys.com/boomerang/boomnews/spacebooms.html |title= Boomerangs in Space |publisher= Flight-toys.com |date= 18 March 2008 |access-date= 3 March 2010 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100524160448/http://www.flight-toys.com/boomerang/boomnews/spacebooms.html |archive-date= 24 May 2010 |url-status= live}}</ref> In 2008, Japanese astronaut [[Takao Doi]] again repeated the experiment on board the [[International Space Station]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,23411383-952,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080324172123/http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0%2C23739%2C23411383-952%2C00.html |archive-date= 24 March 2008 |title= Boomerang works in space, says astronaut |publisher= News.com.au |date= 21 March 2008 |access-date=3 March 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.universetoday.com/2008/03/24/does-a-boomerang-work-in-space/ |title= Does a Boomerang Work in Space? |work= Universetoday.com |date= 24 March 2008 |access-date= 3 March 2010 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20081201030529/http://www.universetoday.com/2008/03/24/does-a-boomerang-work-in-space/ |archive-date= 1 December 2008 |url-status= live}}</ref>

==Throwing technique==
Boomerangs are generally thrown in unobstructed, open spaces at least twice as large as the range of the boomerang. The flight direction to the left or right depends upon the design of the boomerang itself, not the thrower. A right-handed or left-handed boomerang can be thrown with either hand, but throwing a boomerang with the non-matching hand requires a throwing motion that many throwers find awkward. The following technique applies to a right-handed boomerang; the directions are mirrored for a left-handed boomerang. Different boomerang designs have different flight characteristics and are suitable for different conditions. The accuracy of the throw depends on understanding the weight and aerodynamics of that particular boomerang, and the strength, consistency and direction of the wind; from this, the thrower chooses the angle of tilt, the angle against the wind, the elevation of the trajectory, the degree of spin and the strength of the throw. A great deal of trial and error is required to perfect the throw over time.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.rangsboomerangs.com/boomerang-list/boomerang-throwing-instructions |title=BOOMERANG THROWING INSTRUCTIONS |website=www.rangsboomerangs.com |access-date=4 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191002174433/http://www.rangsboomerangs.com/boomerang-list/boomerang-throwing-instructions |archive-date=2 October 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref>

A properly thrown boomerang will travel out parallel to the ground, sometimes climbing gently, perform a graceful, anti-clockwise, circular or tear-drop shaped arc, flatten out and return in a hovering motion, coming in from the left or spiralling in from behind. Ideally, the hover will allow a practiced catcher to clamp their hands shut horizontally on the boomerang from above and below, sandwiching the centre between their hands.

The grip used depends on size and shape; smaller boomerangs are held between finger and thumb at one end, while larger, heavier or wider boomerangs need one or two fingers wrapped over the top edge in order to induce a spin. The aerofoil-shaped section must face the inside of the thrower, and the flatter side outwards. It is usually inclined outwards, from a nearly vertical position to 20° or 30°; the stronger the wind, the closer to vertical.  The elbow of the boomerang can point forwards or backwards, or it can be gripped for throwing; it just needs to start spinning on the required inclination, in the desired direction, with the right force.

The boomerang is aimed to the right of the oncoming wind; the exact angle depends on the strength of the wind and the boomerang itself. Left-handed boomerangs are thrown to the left of the wind and will fly a clockwise flight path. The trajectory is either parallel to the ground or slightly upwards. The boomerang can return without the aid of any wind, but even very slight winds must be taken into account however calm they might seem. Little or no wind is preferable for an accurate throw, light winds up to {{convert|3|-|5|knots|sigfig=1}} are manageable with skill. If the wind is strong enough to fly a kite, then it may be too strong unless a skilled thrower is using a boomerang designed for stability in stronger winds. Gusty days are a great challenge, and the thrower must be keenly aware of the ebb and flow of the wind strength, finding appropriate lulls in the gusts to launch their boomerang.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.wikihow.com/Throw-a-Boomerang |title=How to Throw a Boomerang |website=wikiHow |language=en |access-date=4 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200204130245/https://www.wikihow.com/Throw-a-Boomerang |archive-date=4 February 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.boomerangs.com/pages/how-to-throw-boomerangs |title=How To Throw Boomerangs! |website=Boomerangs.com |access-date=4 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200204130246/https://www.boomerangs.com/pages/how-to-throw-boomerangs |archive-date=4 February 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/throw-boomerang.htm |title=How Do You Throw a Boomerang So That It Comes Back to You? |date=6 September 2001 |website=HowStuffWorks |language=en |access-date=4 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200204130246/https://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/throw-boomerang.htm |archive-date=4 February 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref>

==Competitions and records==
{{Infobox sport
| name       = Boomerang
| image      = Boomerang.jpg
| imagesize  = 220px
| caption    = Aerodynamic returning boomerang
| union      = 
| first      = Ancient
| firstlabel =
| country/region = Australia
| registered =
| clubs      =
| contact    = No
| team       =
| mgender    = No
| category   = Throwing sport
| equipment  = Boomerang
| venue      =
| obsolete   =
| olympic    = No
| paralympic =
| IWGA       = [[1989 World Games|1989]] (invitational)
}}
A world record achievement was made on 3 June 2007 by Tim Lendrum in Aussie Round. Lendrum scored 96 out of 100, giving him a national record as well as an equal world record throwing an "AYR" made by expert boomerang maker Adam Carroll.{{cn|date=May 2025}}

In international competition, a ''world cup'' is held every second year.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Boomerang Sport History |url=https://leadingedgeboomerangs.com/boomerang-sport-history.html |access-date=30 January 2023 |website=Leading Edge Boomerangs |language=en}}</ref> {{As of|2017}}, teams from Germany and the United States dominated international competition. The individual World Champion title was won in 2000, 2002, 2004, 2012, and 2016 by Swiss thrower Manuel Schütz. In 1992, 1998, 2006, and 2008 Fridolin Frost from Germany won the title.{{cn|date=May 2025}}

The team competitions of 2012 and 2014 were won by Boomergang (an international team). World champions were Germany in 2012 and Japan in 2014 for the first time. Boomergang was formed by individuals from several countries, including the Colombian Alejandro Palacio. In 2016 USA became team world champion.<ref>{{Cite web |title=World Boomerang Championships |publisher=United States Boomerang Association |url=https://usba.org/world-boomerang-championship/ |access-date=2025-06-23 |website=usba.org}}</ref>

===Competition disciplines===
Modern boomerang tournaments usually involve some or all of the events listed below.<ref>{{Cite web |title=About Boomerang Throwing |url=https://www.topendsports.com/sport/list/throwing-boomerang.htm |access-date=30 January 2023 |website=Top End Sports}}</ref> In all disciplines the boomerang must travel at least {{convert|20|m|ft|0}} from the thrower. Throwing takes place individually. The thrower stands at the centre of concentric rings marked on an open field.{{cn|date=May 2025}}

Events include:{{cn|date=May 2025}}

* ''Aussie Round'': considered by many to be the ultimate test of boomeranging skills. The boomerang should ideally cross the {{convert|50|m|ft|adj=on}} circle and come right back to the centre. Each thrower has five attempts. Points are awarded for distance, accuracy and the catch.
* ''Accuracy'': points are awarded according to how close the boomerang lands to the centre of the rings. The thrower must not touch the boomerang after it has been thrown. Each thrower has five attempts. In major competitions there are two accuracy disciplines: Accuracy 100 and Accuracy 50.
* ''Endurance'': points are awarded for the number of catches achieved in 5 minutes.
* ''Fast Catch'': the time taken to throw and catch the boomerang five times. The winner has the fastest timed catches.
* ''Trick Catch/Doubling'': points are awarded for trick catches behind the back, between the feet, and so on. In Doubling, the thrower has to throw two boomerangs at the same time and catch them in sequence in a special way.
* ''Consecutive Catch'': points are awarded for the number of catches achieved before the boomerang is dropped. The event is not timed.
* ''MTA 100'' (''Maximal Time Aloft'', {{convert|100|m|ft|0}}): points are awarded for the length of time spent by the boomerang in the air. The field is normally a circle measuring 100&nbsp;m. An alternative to this discipline, without the 100&nbsp;m restriction is called ''MTA unlimited''.
* ''Long Distance'': the boomerang is thrown from the middle point of a {{convert|40|m|ft|adj=on}} baseline. The furthest distance travelled by the boomerang away from the baseline is measured. On returning, the boomerang must cross the baseline again but does not have to be caught. A special section is dedicated to LD below.
* ''Juggling'': as with Consecutive Catch, only with two boomerangs. At any given time one boomerang must be in the air.

===World records===
{{update|section|date=May 2025}}
{{updated|September 2017}}
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Sport boomerang world records{{cn|date=May 2025}}
|-
!scope="col"| Discipline
!scope="col"| Result
!scope="col"| Name
!scope="col"| Year
!scope="col"| Tournament
|-
!scope="row"| Accuracy 100
| 99 points
| {{flagicon|GER}} Alex Opri
| 2007
| {{flagicon|ITA}} [[Viareggio]]
|-
!scope="row"| Aussie Round
| 99 points
| {{flagicon|GER}} Fridolin Frost
| 2007
| {{flagicon|ITA}} Viareggio
|-
!scope="row"| Endurance
| 81 catches
| {{flagicon|SWI}} Manuel Schütz
| 2005
| {{flagicon|ITA}} [[Milan]]
|-
!scope="row"| Fast Catch
| 14.07 s
| {{flagicon|SWI}} Manuel Schütz
| 2017
| {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Besançon]]
|-
!scope="row"| Trick Catch/Doubling
| 533 points
| {{flagicon|SWI}} Manuel Schütz
| 2009
| {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Bordeaux]]
|-
!scope="row"| Consecutive Catch
| 2251 catches
| {{flagicon|JPN}} Haruki Taketomi
| 2009
| {{flagicon|JPN}} Japan
|-
!scope="row"| MTA 100
| 139.10 s
| {{flagicon|USA}} Nick Citoli
| 2010
| {{flagicon|ITA}} Rome
|-
!scope="row"| MTA unlimited
| 380.59 s
| {{flagicon|USA}} Billy Brazelton
| 2010
| {{flagicon|ITA}} Rome
|-
!scope="row"| Long Distance
| 238 m
| {{flagicon|SWI}} Manuel Schütz
| 1999
| {{flagicon|SWI}} [[Kloten]]
|}

===Guinness World Records===
====Smallest returning boomerang====

''Non-discipline record'': Smallest Returning Boomerang (Guinness World Record): Sadir Kattan of Australia in 1997 with {{convert|48|mm|abbr=on}} long and {{convert|46|mm|abbr=on}} wide. This tiny boomerang flew the required {{convert|20|m|abbr=on}}, before returning to the accuracy circles on 22 March 1997 at the Australian National Championships.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://boomerang.org.au/wp/photos/boomerangs/boomerangs-sadir-kattan-and-worlds-smallest-boomerang/ |title=World's smallest boomerang |publisher=boomerang.org.au |date=12 April 2008 |access-date=3 March 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130502025100/http://boomerang.org.au/wp/photos/boomerangs/boomerangs-sadir-kattan-and-worlds-smallest-boomerang/ |archive-date=2 May 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref>

====Longest throw of any object by a human====
A boomerang was used to set a [[Guinness World Records|Guinness World Record]] with a throw of {{convert|427.2|m|abbr=on}} by David Schummy on [[Portal:Current events/2005 March 15|15 March 2005]] at Murarrie Recreation Ground, Australia.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ly3nCEbcQig |title=Longest Boomerang Throw |website=[[YouTube]] |date=September 2010 |access-date=8 July 2021 |archive-date=9 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210709201239/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ly3nCEbcQig |url-status=live}}</ref> This broke the record set by Erin Hemmings who threw an [[Aerobie]] {{convert|406.3|m|abbr=on}} on 14 July 2003 at [[Fort Funston]], San Francisco.<ref>{{cite news|title=First quarter Mile Throw in History at Fort Funston |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2003_July_16/ai_105504992/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050419091733/http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2003_July_16/ai_105504992 |archive-date=19 April 2005 |agency=[[Business Wire]] |date=16 July 2003 |access-date=28 May 2009 |work=Business Wire}}</ref>

==Related terms==
In [[Noongar language]], ''kylie'' is a flat curved piece of wood similar in appearance to a boomerang that is thrown when hunting for birds and animals.<ref>{{cite web |title= Language {{!}} Kaartdijin Noongar |url= https://www.noongarculture.org.au/language/ |website= www.noongarculture.org.au |publisher= SWLASC |access-date= 6 February 2017 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170206104813/https://www.noongarculture.org.au/language/ |archive-date= 6 February 2017 |url-status= live}}</ref> "Kylie" is one of the Aboriginal words for the hunting stick used in warfare and for hunting animals.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bumerang-sport.de/story/history.htm|title=Whence comes, and what is a boomerang|website=bumerang-sport.de|access-date=26 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170728022135/http://www.bumerang-sport.de/story/history.htm|archive-date=28 July 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> Instead of following curved flight paths, kylies fly in straight lines from the throwers. They are typically much larger than boomerangs, and can travel very long distances; due to their size and hook shapes, they can cripple or kill an animal or human opponent. The word is perhaps an English corruption of a word meaning "boomerang" taken from one of the Western Desert languages, for example, the [[Warlpiri language|Warlpiri]] word "karli".

==Cultural references==
Trademarks of Australian companies using the boomerang as a symbol, emblem or logo proliferate, usually removed from Aboriginal context and symbolising "returning"<ref>Jones, P. (1992). "The boomerang's erratic flight: The mutability of ethnographic objects." ''Journal of Australian Studies'', 16(35), 59-71.</ref> or to distinguish an Australian brand.<ref name=":1">Spearritt, P. (1997). "Symbols for Australia: The changes to the iconography of political and corporate advertising". ''Artlink'', 17(3), 58.</ref> Early examples included Bain's White Ant Exterminator (1896); Webendorfer Bros. explosives (1898); E. A. Adams Foods (1920); and by the (still current) Boomerang Cigarette Papers Pty. Ltd.<ref>{{Citation |author-last1=Cozzolino |author-first1=Mimmo |author-last2=Rutherford |author-first2=Graeme Fysh | title=Symbols of Australia | date=2000 | page=62 | publisher=Penguin | edition=20th anniversary | isbn=978-0-646-40309-0 | author1-link=Mimmo Cozzolino}}</ref>

"Aboriginalia", including the boomerang, as symbols of Australia dates from the late 1940s and early 1950s and was in widespread use by a largely European arts, crafts and design community.<ref>Hume, D. L. (2009). "The development of tourist art and souvenirs—the arc of the boomerang: from hunting, fighting and ceremony to tourist souvenir". ''International journal of tourism research'', 11(1), 55-70.</ref> By the 1960s, the Australian tourism industry extended it to the very branding of Australia,<ref>Prideaux, B.; Timothy, D. J.; Chon, K., eds. (2008). "Themes in cultural and heritage tourism in the Asia Pacific region". ''Cultural and heritage tourism in Asia and the Pacific''. pp. 1-14.</ref> particularly to overseas and domestic tourists as souvenirs and gifts and thus Aboriginal culture. At the very time when Aboriginal people and culture were subject to policies that removed them from their traditional lands and sought to [[cultural assimilation|assimilate]] them (physiologically and culturally) into mainstream white Australian culture, causing the [[Stolen Generations]],<ref>Scates, B. (1997). "'We Are Not...[A] boriginal... We Are Australian': William Lane, Racism and the Construction of Aboriginality". ''Labour History: A Journal of Labour and Social History'', (72), 35-49.</ref> Aboriginalia found an ironically "nostalgic", entry point into Australian popular culture at important social locations: holiday resorts and in Australian domestic interiors. In the 21st century, souvenir objects depicting Aboriginal peoples, symbolism and motifs including the boomerang, from the 1940s–1970s, regarded as [[kitsch]] and sold largely to tourists in the first instance, became highly sought after by both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal collectors and has captured the imagination of Aboriginal artists and cultural commentators.<ref>Franklin, A. (2010). "Aboriginalia: Souvenir Wares and the 'Aboriginalisation' of Australian Identity". ''Tourist Studies'', 10(3), 195-208.</ref><ref name=":1" />

==See also==
* [[List of premodern combat weapons]]
* [[List of martial arts weapons]]
* [[Australian Aboriginal artefacts]]
* [[Cateia]], an ancient European and North African throwing weapon
* [[Chakram]], an Indian throwing weapon
* [[Throwing stick]], used in Australia
* [[Valari]], an Indian throwing weapon

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
*Nishiyama, Yutaka, [http://ijpam.eu/contents/2012-78-3/5/5.pdf Why do boomerangs come back?], ''Int. J. of Pure and Appl. Math.'' 78(3), 335–347, 2012. 
* {{cite web |title=Did Australia's boomerangs pave the way for flight? |website=BBC Travel |date=20 Aug 2023 |author=Nylah Lee |url=https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20230818-did-australias-boomerangs-pave-the-way-for-flight}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Boomerangs}}
{{Wiktionary|boomerang}}
* [http://www.ifba-online.com/ International Federation of Boomerang Associations]
* {{cite web | title=Unspinning the boomerang | website=plus.maths.org | date=1 January 1999 | url=https://plus.maths.org/content/unspinning-boomerang}} 
* [http://www.boomerangs.com/aerodynamics.html Boomerang aerodynamics: an online dissertation]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120425162139/http://www.boomerangs.com/boomerang-info41.html How to Throw a Boomerang]
*{{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Boomerang}}

{{Prehistoric technology}}
{{Indigenous Australians|state=expanded}}
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