Researchers from the Australian Centre for Ancient DNA at the University of Adelaide analysed hair samples collected from Aboriginal communities between 1928 and 1970.
The research has provided a detailed insight into a period of history that little is known about.
Around 50,000 years ago the first people arrived in Australia through New Guinea, which was connected to the continent by land at the time.
The group then split into two groups, which travelled along both coastlines of Australia, before meeting up in southern Australia 2,000 years later.
The Australian Centre of Ancient DNA director, Alan Cooper says these are just some of the details about the initial migration to Australia, recently discovered by analysing hair DNA.
"After that initial contact 50,000 years ago, you can see from the DNA that there were two parallel movements. One clockwise around the east coast and one anti-clockwise around the west coast . And that the types of DNA that were being carried in those movements were quite different. And so the population obviously split up in the north or sorted itself out in two different groups, that went rocketing around the coastline of Australia."
The study also showed Aboriginal communities hardly moved at all geographically, in the 50,000 years that followed -- evidence which backs up what many Aboriginal people have been saying for a long time.
But Professor Cooper says it's surprising that inland Aboriginal communities didn't migrate due to environmental conditions, even when glacial expansion was at its peak during the last Ice Age.
"About 20,000 was the peak glacial around the world and Australia during that period of time was very, very harsh. Possibly a more difficult environment than anywhere in the world. It was incredibly dry and dusty. Some estimates suggest two thirds of Australia was a moving sand dune at that point, because it was so dry you're not getting any plant life to stabilise the sand dunes."
The DNA study used hair collected by anthropological researchers from forcibly displaced Aboriginal communities between 1928 and 1970.
Fran Zilio from South Australian Museum Archives says they consulted with those who had their hair taken or their direct descendants before doing the genetic testing.
"So today what we do is engage with Aboriginal community liaison officers who consult extensively with the original hair donors or their direct senior descendants. Genetic testing cannot take place without informed consent."
The researchers focused on older hair collected so they could trace the DNA back to the location of the Aboriginal communities before British colonisation.
But Dr Ray Tobler who was part of the research team, says the data set they have created can in the future be used to help members of the Stolen Generations pinpoint their ancestry.
"I have Aboriginal ancestry through my granddad. He never really spoke about his ancestry, his Aboriginal heritage because he was removed from his family. So one of the reasons I was really attracted in being a part of this project was because a lot of people in my situation who are interested in recovering their history, can actually do so through this project. That is one of the big goals we are trying to achieve, on top of building that map."
Professor Cooper says he hopes this research will help excite people and encourage them to learn more about Australia's ancient history.
"This is perhaps one of the most interesting chapter is human history and that it is which we know almost nothing about. And I think that's where the genetic results starting to not only confirm what Aboriginal people have been saying all along, but to start filling in the details of how this remarkable colonisation and subsequent history have taken place. And how important that is to get people interested in Aboriginal history."
