Traditional Art Boomerang by Lin Onus

Item P85 

This Item was Sold on 24 April 2022 for $200


Similar artifacts for sale are often found on the Aboriginal Boomerangs web page.

Historical Pricing information for this item and similar artifacts can be found at: Historical Artifact Prices.


This left handed traditional art boomerang was made out of 8 mm Australian plywood and painted with Aboriginal style art in the 1970s. I purchased it from Rob Croll in 1985. The technique used by Lin Onus was to paint the boomerang with a base coat of red ochre. After the first coat was dry, Lin added a coat of dark brown and while the outer coat was wet, he etched the designs into the surface. The unusual pattern on the tips was done using a simple hair comb! Nice technique and it looks great. The airfoil on the upper surface is neutral. Handedness was made by putting an underside on the lower surface leading edge. This boomerang has undercutting for both left and right handed boomerangs, but the undercut bias for left handedness is greater. It is in very nice condition. A very rare boomerang by this famous Aboriginal artist who is also the son of the famous boomerang maker - Bill Onus. In the 1980s, I saw Lin Onus art selling in the major art auctions for $10,000 - $40,000, so this boomerang is offered at a very deep discount. Lin Onus died in 1996. Please view the photos below.

Left Handed ; Span = 49 cm ; Weight = 133 gm


Australian Aborigines are well known for making boomerangs. The majority of Aborigines had the technology to make throwsticks, or non-returning hunting boomerangs. Only a small percentage of the tribal groups knew how to make true returners and most of these came from the eastern coastal regions of Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. During the past century, the majority of the Aborigines left the nomadic life style and were assimilated into the European culture. Many Aborigines began making returning style boomerangs to sell to tourists. The earliest ones were well made out of natural timber and with the grain following the curvature of the boomerang. Today, most hardwood boomerangs are cut out of a large board with the grain running straight between the tips of the blades. Boomerangs that are made with the grain following the contour of the blades are much stronger and more valuable. In addition, some boomerangs have good airfoiling. The majority do not. Most "tourist boomerangs" have painted upper surfaces that display Australian animals and decorative lines and/or geometric patterns. Most pre-contact returners have no artwork or the artwork is simple and etched into the surface. It is easy to tell the tourist boomerang from the valuable ethnographic artifact. However, tourist boomerangs that are made properly with the grain running along the contour and with good airfoiling and artwork do have good collectable value, especially if they are made by famous Aboriginal artists like Bill Onus, Lin Onus or Joe Timbery.



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