Are Ancient Australians Māori?

Are Ancient Australians Māori?

No, Ancient Australians are not Māori. They are completely different Indigenous peoples with distinct origins, histories, and cultural identities.

Ancient Australians refer to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, who have lived on the Australian continent for at least 60,000 years. They developed diverse languages, traditions, and deep cultural connections to Country across thousands of generations.

Māori, on the other hand, are the Indigenous people of Aotearoa (New Zealand). They are Polynesian and are believed to have arrived in New Zealand around 1250–1300 CE from other parts of Polynesia, such as eastern Polynesia.

While both Aboriginal Australians and Māori are Indigenous peoples with rich oral traditions and strong spiritual connections to land and sea, they come from different ancestral lineages and migrated to and settled in different regions of the world.

Confusing the two is common, but historically and culturally they are separate peoples with unique identities that should be understood in their own right.

Project The Great Southern Land

by The Museum of Time

8 May 2026