The art of tattooing in Australia has a rich historical background which goes back in the years of the Samoan tribes and the Maori tribes displaying a wide variety of tattoos on some specific parts of their body. These tribes depict a great history of tattooing. The Samoan tribes used cover their lower part of the body completely with extensive tattoos. They only displayed these tattoos as fashion statements. They did not believe in any ritual or cultural importance.

The tattoos held social respect and acceptance for the Samoan people. People with no tattoo at all were considered to be weak and coward. The Samoans thought that one who had the most extensive tattoo on his body is brave enough to endure the pain of the craft. Thus the tattooing was done so extensively that it took even six months to complete a person’s body. Samoan girls also had tattoos on their body.

While mastering the art of tattooing, the Samoans used a special comb with pointed end. When applied over the skin, these ends of the comb would pierce the body putting the ink inside it. Thus the tattoos were made on the body.

The Maoris were a distinctive tribe who wore tattoos on their faces. They used to have unique tattoos on their faces. First the features were studied intricately and then tattoos were being made depending on the features of the person. The whole process which the Maori used was severely painful and it used to take days to completely one face. These face tattoos were quite elaborate which showed power and dignity for men. Maori women also wore tattoos on their faces, but they were not so elaborate like that of the men. The Aborigines of Australia wore tattoos to dodge sudden boomerang attacks from enemies.

The modern day art of tattooing in Australia started with the prisoners mostly from Europe were sent into exile in Australia. The prisoners used the tattoos to express their different human emotions. These tattoos were being made from the black sediments of the oil lamps in those days. Nowadays tattoos are quite extensively worn by people from different walk of life. It has become a fashion and style statements for many.