Where Did Boomerang’s Come From?

So, where exactly did boomerangs come from? Are they ancient aboriginal weapons? Did people really use them to hunt kangaroos and fight off dingos?

The truth is . . . no one really knows for certain how boomerangs were invented. Most experts seem to agree, however, that the first boomerang was probably more of a mistake than a planned event. After all, who really wants their weapon coming back at them?

There were hunting tools known as throwing sticks that were, well, sticks that were thrown. Like the boomerang, they tended to be somewhat curved, though some were straight, and hurled in much the same way. The difference is that, unlike a boomerang, a good throwing stick was slightly rounded or flat on both sides with no unique sloping angles on any side. A good boomerang is flat on one side and rounded on the other with an angled slope on each wing. The first boomerang was most likely a poorly formed or warped throwing stick.

You see, boomerangs work on the same principles as an airplane wing or propeller and a helicopter rotor. It is the shape of the wings, with the rotation, that gives it lift and causes it to go in a circle. A good throwing stick goes straight (at the target) — a boomerang goes out in an arc, making it very difficult to hit anything, when properly thrown, other than the person who threw it.