Adelaide Botanic Garden

Aboriginal Plant Use - Primary Years Education Trail

Teacher Resource

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Contents

Guidelines in the garden .............................................................................................................................. 3

Risk Management .......................................................................................................................................... 3

Australian Curriculum Connections ........................................................................................................... 3

Recommended year levels: ............................................................................................................................ 3

Key concepts: ...................................................................................................................................................... 3

General capabilities ........................................................................................................................................... 4

Cross-curriculum priorities ............................................................................................................................. 4

International Baccalaureate (IB) Connections ......................................................................................... 4

Australian Curriculum Connections ............................................................................................................ 5

Teacher notes and background information .......................................................................................... 6

Before your visit ................................................................................................................................................. 6

While you are at Adelaide Botanic Garden .............................................................................................. 6

Back at school ..................................................................................................................................................... 6

Aboriginal Cultures - further information ................................................................................................. 7

Finding the plants and how to use the resource. ............................................................................... 10

Map .................................................................................................................................................................. 10

Stations ............................................................................................................................................................ 11

River red gum .................................................................................................................................................. 11

Ribbon gum ...................................................................................................................................................... 12

Bunya pine ........................................................................................................................................................ 13

Hollow tree ....................................................................................................................................................... 14

Macadamia........................................................................................................................................................ 15

Illawarra plum .................................................................................................................................................. 16

Bottle tree .......................................................................................................................................................... 17

Para para ............................................................................................................................................................ 18

Fish killer ............................................................................................................................................................ 19

Grass tree ........................................................................................................................................................... 20

Spear lily ............................................................................................................................................................. 21

Casuarina ........................................................................................................................................................... 22

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Guidelines in the garden

Students must be supervised at all times while in the Garden. Before starting your walk please remind your group that:

Gardens are peaceful places for everyone to relax and enjoy. Please do not disturb other visitors.

Walking slowly and talking quietly makes it easier to spot birds and other wildlife.

Plants are fragile, touch them gently as to not to harm our plant life.

Flowers, leaves, bark, seeds etc. growing on plants or lying on the ground are there for all to enjoy. When you have finished with plant material found on the ground always return it to the garden.

Keeping to paths and not walking on beds or borders avoids damage to plants.

Risk Management

Water: Adelaide Botanic Garden has a number of open water bodies. Students require close supervision by teachers and caregivers.

Student ratio: Adult to student ratio is recommended at 1:10. For Early Years, Junior Primary and children with special needs, extra supervision is recommended.

Weather: Sun protection is required and insect repellent is recommended. Light showers are not an issue in the garden and can even enhance the experience. There are a number of sheltered areas throughout the garden and raincoats are preferred to umbrellas.

Washing: Hands should be thoroughly washed after handling plant material, particularly before eating.

Toilets: There are two blocks of public toilets as indicated on the map.

Australian Curriculum Connections

Recommended year levels: Years 3 to 7

Key concepts:

• How Aboriginal people used plants to live and survive.

• The importance of plants to Aboriginal people as food, medicine, tools and shelter.

Students will investigate a series of plants which have numerous traditional uses. Students will

investigate the plants closely, discuss cultural issues and consider life in Australia before

European arrival. Although many plants on this trail are native to the local area, the trail

extends in to Aboriginal plant use across all of Australia. Students are encouraged to

observe, analyse, inquire, record, hypothesize and connect knowledge they already have with

new learnings.

Teaching for Effective Learning (TfEL): Provide an authentic context in which to engage

learners and build their understanding whilst using a range of learning modes.

4 Time: Allow approximately 1.5 hours for this session.

General capabilities

Literacy: Comprehending and composing text in a variety of ways. Expanding word

knowledge.

Numeracy: Recognising and using patterns and relationships. Interpreting data and using

measurement. Using mathematics as a tool in the scientific process.

Critical and creative thinking: Using scientific techniques to solve problems and inquiry

about observations.

Personal and social: A deeper understanding of the environment and the custodial

responsibilities of humans toward it. Engagement in citizen science and civic actions to support

the environment.

Ethical understanding: Insights into the environmental and economic dilemmas that exist

currently in societies around the world.

Cross-curriculum priorities

Sustainability: In-depth focus on the value of plants and plant biodiversity, the need for good

scientific understanding of our environment and the planning around sustainable management of

plants and their ecosystems (including recovery strategies for endangered species).

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures: Understanding the knowledge

and stewardship of Aboriginal people in relation to plants and what modern society can learn from

them.

The blue text below represents Science Elaborations for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

Cross-curriculum priority.

International Baccalaureate (IB) Connections

The International Baccalaureate programs support and nurture students to be caring, active

participants in a lifelong journey of learning. Students are supported to think for themselves and take

responsibility for their learning as they explore local and global issues and opportunities in real-life

contexts.

Botanic Gardens are ideal locations to support this approach, as they involve a combination of

heritage, science and the environment and allow exploration of contemporary issues such as climate

change, water, biodiversity and conservation.

One of the IB Primary Years Program Science strand(s) is Living things and students are encouraged

to develop the following Science skills

a. Observe carefully in order to gather data

b. Use a variety of instruments and tools to measure data accurately

c. Use scientific vocabulary to explain their observations and experiences

d. Identify or generate a question or problem to be explored

e. Plan and carry out systematic investigations, manipulating variables as necessary

f. Make and test predictions

g. Interpret and evaluate data gathered in order to draw conclusions

h. Consider scientific models and applications of these models (including their limitations)

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Year

level

Curriculum Connections

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Geography: How people’s feelings about places influence the protection of places.

History: The importance of Country/Place to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples who belong to a local area. Who

lived here first and their reliance on the environment?

Science: Inquiry skills and human endeavour.

Researching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ knowledge of the local natural environment, such as the characteristics

of plants and animals.

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Geography: People, places and the environment – the importance of environments, including natural vegetation, to animals and

people.

History: Life for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people before the arrival of Europeans to Australia.

Science: Living things depend on each other and the environment to survive.

Recognising how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples perceive themselves as being an integral part of the environment.

Natural and processed materials have a range of physical properties that can influence their use.

Considering how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples use natural and processed materials for different purposes, such as

tools, clothing and shelter, based on their properties.

Earth’s surface changes over time as a result of natural processes and human activity.

Considering how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ fire management practices over tens of thousands of years have

changed the distribution of flora and fauna in most regions of Australia.

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Geography: Australian Communities – the influence of people, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, on the

environmental characteristics of Australian places.

History: The diversity of Australia’s first peoples and the long and continuous connection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

peoples to Country/Place (land, sea, waterways and skies).

Living things have structural features and adaptations that help them to survive in their environment.

Investigating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ knowledge of the adaptations of certain species and how those

adaptations can be exploited.

Scientific knowledge is used to solve problems and inform personal and community decisions.

Investigating how Torres Strait Islander Peoples and Aboriginal Peoples of arid regions of Australia use scientific knowledge to

manage precious water resources.

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Geography: Connections of people and their places, their cultures and perceptions.

History: Australia past and present - Status, Rights and Freedoms of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Science: The growth and survival of living things are affected by physical conditions of their environment.

Investigating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ knowledge and understanding of the physical conditions necessary for

the survival of certain plants and animals in the environment.

Changes to materials can be reversible or irreversible.

Investigating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ knowledge of reversible processes, such as the application of adhesives,

and of irreversible processes, such as the use of fuels for torches.

Scientific knowledge is used to solve problems and inform personal and community decisions.

Discussing how modern approaches to fire ecology in Australia are being informed by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

Peoples’ traditional ecological knowledge and fire management practices.

Science involves testing predictions by gathering data and using evidence to develop explanations of events and phenomena and

reflects historical and cultural contributions.

Learning how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ knowledge, such as the medicinal and nutritional properties of

Australian plants, is being used as part of the evidence base for scientific advances.

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Geography: Sustainable pasts, present, futures - particularly water. Economic, cultural, spiritual and aesthetic value of water for

people, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

Science: Interactions between organisms, including the effects of human activities can be represented by food chains and food webs.

Predictable phenomena on Earth, including seasons and eclipses, are caused by the relative positions of the sun, Earth and the moon.

Investigating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ calendars and how they are used to predict seasonal changes.

Some of Earth’s resources are renewable, including water that cycles through the environment, but others are non-renewable.

Exploring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ connections with, and valuing of, water and water resource management.

Scientific knowledge has changed peoples’ understanding of the world and is refined as new evidence becomes available.

Investigating the contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ knowledge in the identification of medicinal and

endemic plants.

Science knowledge can develop through collaboration across the disciplines of science and the contributions of people from a range

of cultures.

Investigating how land management practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples informs contemporary management

of the environment to protect biodiversity.

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Teacher notes and background

information

Before your visit

Discussions:

Show students the Tindale map of Aboriginal groups. Discuss how this map is useful and how Aboriginal Australia has changed since it was produced in 1940.

Ask students to consider why Aboriginal people would move from place to place. Why would they move to the Adelaide foothills in winter?

What roles could women, men and children have in the family group? Why might they be different?

While you are at Adelaide

What tools can you use to capture the learning experience?

Photographs Video Sound Text Painting/ Drawing

Back at school

Post-visit literacy learning opportunities:

The student inquiry questions highlighted at the end of each station can be used in discussion and further investigation back at school.

You get lost in the bush near a water hole surrounded by river red gum trees. Explain how you could use the gums to help you survive until a search party arrived.

Write out a recipe for preparing and cooking a meal using only plants that you would have found in the Australian bush over 200 years ago.

Ngarrindjeri people made rafts from grass tree flower spikes. Design and build miniature rafts made from different Australian plants. Compare them to one made from a grass tree flower spike. Prepare a display and report your findings back to the class.

Collect strap-like leaves from different plants. Tear them into long narrow strips and weave them together to make different strings. Design a strength test and work out which plant makes the strongest string. Write up a report and present your results to the class.

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Dreaming stories explain how the land and living things came about. Write your own story to explain the uses of the banksia.

You are a member of the Kaurna people living on the Adelaide Plains over 200 years ago. Write a family history of a typical year in this region. Explain how you lived on Country, obtaining food and moving with the seasons from the coast in summer to the foothills in winter. Include the names of important plants and animals you depend upon.

Cycad seeds are poisonous but Aboriginal people learnt how to make them safe to eat. Write an imaginary story on how Aboriginal people discovered a method to make cycads safe to eat.

Research Kaurna names for plants and animals. Draw a scene of life on the Adelaide Plains from over 200 years ago. Include Kaurna people, plants and animals in your drawing. Label the drawing with Kaurna names you have found from your research.

Compare our current concept of the 4 seasons to how the Kaurna people viewed seasonal changes in Adelaide. How are they different? Design your own seasonal chart. Use the below calendar from the Bureau of Meteorology to help with this task.

Kaurna seasonal calendar

Credit: http://www.bom.gov.au/

iwk/calendars/kaurna.shtml

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Aboriginal Cultures - further information

Adelaide Botanic Garden is part of the land of the Kaurna people. When discussing

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, it is important to use appropriate terminology

and be respectful of this ancient and enduring culture.

Acknowledgment of Country – Adelaide Botanic Garden

On your arrival at Adelaide Botanic Garden, it is appropriate to start your visit with an

Acknowledgement of Country:

We acknowledge this land that we meet on today is the traditional lands for Kaurna people

and that we respect their spiritual relationship with their country. We acknowledge the Kaurna

people as the custodians of the Adelaide region and that their cultural and heritage beliefs are

still as important to the living Kaurna people today. We pay respects to the cultural authority

of Aboriginal people visiting from other areas of South Australia/Australia present here.

Which word should I use – Indigenous or Aboriginal?

Where referring to a particular language group, use the name of the group (e.g. Kaurna);

where referring to work in South Australia use Aboriginal; where referring Australia wide use

either ‘Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander’ or ‘Indigenous Australians’; and, where referring

Indigenous cultures overseas (eg New Zealand Maori or Native Americans, use ‘Indigenous’

or ‘First Nations’. Torres Strait Islanders don’t adopt the term ‘Aboriginal’, but prefer

‘Indigenous’ if referred to collectively with Aboriginal groups.

It is a mark of respect to refer to an Aboriginal person by their language or cultural group, if

you know it. For example, a person may prefer being referred to as 'a Kaurna man/woman’

rather than 'an Aboriginal man/woman’.

How many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders live in South Australia?

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, there is an estimated population of 30,431

people who identify as 'Indigenous' out of a population of 1,596,572. That equates to

around 1.9% of the South Australian population (ABS 2011).

How many Aboriginal language groups are there in South Australia?

There are 391 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander language groups in Australia (2002

Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies) with 23 within South

Australia (click here to see the Aboriginal Australia Map). It is estimated that there were

around 50 individual language groups within the boundaries of what we now know as

'South Australia' prior to the arrival of Europeans.

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The current language groups within the boundaries of South Australia* are listed below:

Adnyamathanha

Antakarinja

Arabana

Arrernte

Barngarla

Buandig

Dieri

Kaurna

Kokatha

Kuyani

Mirning

Narungga

Ngadjuri

Ngarrindjeri

Nukunu

Peramangk

Pitjantjatjara

Wangkangurru

Wirangu

Yandruwandha

Yankuntjatjara

Yarluyandi

Yawarawarka

How do I pronounce these groups?

Adnyamathanha (adna-mat-na)

Antakarinja (ant-a-kerin-ya)

Arabana (ar-a-bun-a)

Arrernte (ar-run-da)

Barngarla (barn-ga-la)

Buandig (bo-an-dik)

Dieri (de-ear-ie)

Kaurna (gar-na)

Kokatha (cook-a-tha)

Kuyani (quee-ya-nee)

Mirning (mern-ing)

Narungga (nar-rung-ga)

Ngadjuri (ngud-jury [ng as in English]

Ngarrindjeri (ngud-in-jeddi)

Nukunu (nook-u-nu)

Peramangk (pe-ra-mank)

Pitjantjatjara (pitch-chan-chudda)

Wangkangurru (wang-kan-guru)

Wirangu (wir-an-goo)

Yandruwandha (yan-drew-wanda)

Yankuntjatjara (young-kun-gudda)

Yarluyandi (yar-u-lan-dee)

Yawarawarka (ya-warra-wakka)

Information sourced from the Department of Environment and Water – Cultural Awareness Team

* Refer to the Map of Aboriginal Australia for more information - https://bit.ly/2k7FMZq

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Finding the plants and how to use the resource.

This section provides teachers with background information on each plant or station. The plants on this trail may be found by referring to the map and by looking for the plant nameplate. There is also a photo match or sketch of the plant to help.

Each station has suggestions for discussions with your class of students that are designed to encourage students to observe, record, discuss and use the information they collect. These questions can also be used as a post-visit learning opportunity.

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Stations

1. River Red Gum - Eucalyptus

camaldulensis

This tree has been growing here, for more than 280

years. That is about 100 years before Europeans

came to South Australia. On the eastern side, at the

base of the trunk, is a dead wood hollow typical of

these trees. Aboriginal people sometimes burn the

dead wood in the centre of big red gums trees to

form a shelter. A good example of this can be seen

on the trail at station 4. Near the River Murray

Ngarrindjeri people cut huge slabs of bark from

river red gums to make canoes. The pattern of

missing bark on the trunk of this tree is similar to

the shape cut for canoes but being smaller it may

have been a shield. The hard, durable wood is used

for a range of utensils and weapons including

digging sticks, carrying dishes, shields and

boomerangs.

Large trees like this provide habitat for many

insects, birds and other animals that live in and around the tree. The scratches on the

northern side of this tree are possum marks. Possums live in a hollow halfway up the trunk

of the tree on the western side. Possums provide food as well as fur skins to make blankets

and cloaks. On occasions introduced bees make their home in a small hollow above the

possum home. Native bees are a source of honey and wax.

Hollows also provide homes for birds like parrots, kookaburras and wood ducks, all of which

can be hunted for food and their feathers used in ceremonies. Many plants are used

medicinally. Different types of crushed gum leaves provide relief from congestion and when

laid on a fire the vapours are said to smoke out fever. A bit like using Vicks on the chest at

bedtime when people have colds.

Teaching suggestion: Encourage students to find animal homes and to think about

the different types of ‘shops’ this tree was for the Aboriginal people. Hardware,

chemist, clothing etc

Look for: A large solitary gum tree in the lawn near a mulberry tree shelter.

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2. Ribbon Gum, Eucalyptus viminalis

Terma

The holes are where edible moth or beetle grubs

have burrowed into the tree. Fresh sawdust coming

out of these holes is a sign live grubs are inside. The

grubs are removed using a fine, flexible, sharp stick.

Grubs found in tree trunks are called ‘barti’ and are

considered men’s food only. Grubs dug from roots

are called ‘koope’ and can be eaten by anyone in

the group.

Students can find the grub holes then work out what lives inside and how you get them out.

Discussions: Why eat insects; the value of Aboriginal names which describe the animal and

where it lives; rules for eating of food in different cultures; what were the roles of men and

women in the family that might have helped design the rules about who could collect food

from where. (eg Men were hunters and would be moving quickly and quietly. The grubs in the

trunk are quick and easy to access.)

Look for: A very tall gum tree with ribbons of bark hanging from upper trunk. The lower

trunk has a distinctive dark brown colour. The tree is growing near the edge of First Creek.

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3. Bunya Pine, Araucaria bidwillii

The ripening of the massive Bunya pine cones occurrs every 2-3

years. This signalled the time for many groups of Aboriginal people

from south eastern Queensland to come together for a harvest

festival. Sustained by a plentiful food supply it was a time for social

and cultural celebrations that included feasting, celebrations, sport,

gossip, dance and music.

To obtain fresh juicy young

seeds these massive trees are

scaled by women using vine

ropes and notches cut into

the bark of the tree. The size

of the trees, and the very

sharp leaves (feel them -

carefully) do not make the

task an easy one!

Teaching suggestion: Discuss the problems of reaching the fresh, green cones which grow

at the top of these trees. Focus on how the plants helped to set the social calendar. Do we

have similar celebrations today based around plants? (eg Wine Harvest and Almond

Blossom festivals in South Australia)?

Look for: A large tree with a clearing around the base. Many long thin branches which are dry

and spikey around the base.

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4. Hollow Tree, Eucalyptus camaldulensis

Karra (Kaurna)

Check inside the hollow of the tree for

evidence (charcoal) that this old red

gum has been burnt.

It is likely that Kaurna people burnt the trunk

as a basis for a shelter. The shelter would

have been made more comfortable by

blocking off openings exposed to the weather

and lining the dirt floor with bark and animal

skin rugs. A verandah, made of leaves, bark

and branches, probably extended the size of

the shelter. The tree shelters or ‘wattowadli’

were most often used in winter as family

groups moved inland to escape the cold

winds and flooded wetlands near the coast.

Aboriginal groups often moved through

different parts of their land at different times

of the year. In part they would follow a food

trail where the plants had ripening fruits and nuts. It also allowed the plants to regenerate

and the animals to repopulate areas after they had moved on. Next time the group visited

the area the land could support them again with food and materials. Seasonal movement

also reduced health problems associated with a build-up of human waste.

Discussion: Get students to imagine a family group living in this spot many years ago.

Image how it was enlarged and made it comfortable to live in. Discuss in terms of

sustainability, the value of moving through the land using temporary homes. Many

growing cities such as London in the 1700 had terrible problems with many people living

in one spot. What were they and how did Aboriginal people overcome this?

Look for: A large, hollow tree trunk on the left of the track.

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5. Queensland Nut (Macadamia),

Macadamia tetraphylla

The delicious macadamia nuts from this tree have

one of the hardest shells in the world and are difficult

to crack without mashing their contents.

Aboriginal people in Queensland engineer special

‘nutting stones’ that consist of slabs of tough rock

with a number of depressions ground into them.

Nuts, tightly held in the depressions, were expertly

cracked with a blow from a hammer stone.

Mature macadamia trees can produce up to 25kg of

nuts. Until recently this plant was the only Australian

native plant to be used in horticulture as a food crop.

Look for: A medium sized tree on the right of track. It may have clusters of cream

coloured flowers and/or bunches of green nuts (March to June)

Discussion: What is the particular value of a nut like the macadamia when there are no

fridges or supermarkets around? Find out if students have tasted Macadamia nuts,

discuss flavour and recipes.

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6. Illawarra Plum, Podocarpus elatus

See if you can loacte some odd-looking fruit on

the tree. This is not a true fruit but is a small

round cone attached to the tree’s swollen fleshy

stalk.

Aboriginal people in New South Wales eat both

parts. The cone contains a small edible seed that

has a strong resinous flavour. The soft, fleshy

stalk has the colour and shape of a small plum

when mature. The flesh has a pleasant tasting

jelly-like texture.

Today, the Illawarra plum is often featured in

bush tucker or Australian plant food restaurants.

Teaching hints: Encourage students to spot the ‘plums’ on the tree or on the ground and to think

about why this food could be called a ‘double header’.

Discussion: Why do trees have tasty fruits?

Look for: A large tree with long narrow deep green leaves. Purple plum shaped fruit with a blueberry attached to each amongst the foliage (best time is May or August).

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7. Bottle Tree, Brachychiton rupestre

In particularly bad dry spells (droughts)

in northern Australia this tree could

save your life! The shape of the tree

may give you a clue as to why. The

bottle tree survives long periods of

dryness by storing water in its trunk.

Aboriginal people needing water chop

into the trunk and squeeze the soft,

moist wood to obtain a drink. The

wound is then sealed with a stone thus

making it easier to use again the next

time the tree is visited.

The seeds, shoots and roots are edible

and the trunk exudes a gum that is the

source of starch. Scars formed by the

dropping of limbs from the trunk make

an attractive pattern on the trunk.

The soft wood can also be used for

fire-making and for shields.

Look for: A distinctive bottle shaped trunk with attractive horizontal scars.

Activity: Students can tap the tree and guess about what might be inside.

Discuss: The advantage harvesting small amounts of water from the tree rather than getting

a lot at once by cutting it down. From an evolutionary point of view, what sort of climate has

this tree evolved in that would cause it to store water. How do other plants survive

droughts?

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8. Parapara, Pisonia umbellifera

Find and feel the shiny seed cases on this

tree. In North Queensland Aboriginal hunters

use the very sticky pods of this plant to trap

ground feeding rainforest birds.

Placing the sticky parapara pods in a circle

surrounding a tasty fruit might lure and catch

the birds. The pods stick to the birds as they

crossed the circle of sticky pods making flight

difficult and capture easy.

Methods that reduced the energy hunters

needed to use to catch prey are common

throughout Australia.

Look for: A row of small trees or large bushes with glossy green leaves. Shiny green/black fruits may be stuck on leaves. Just past the bottle tree.

Activity: Feel the sticky fruits. Encourage students to think about how the fruits could be

used to trap birds. Try to find a seed with insects stuck to it as a hint. Ask students to

think about the importance of saving energy when hunting.

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9. Fish Killer Tree, Barringtonia racmosa

.

This Queensland tree is one of a number of

Australian plants that have toxic leaves and

bark.

The bark of this tree can be beaten and

ground up then placed in water holes,

lagoons or dammed streams. Fish in the

water were suffocated as the bark absorbed

oxygen from the water. They would then be

easy to collect as they floated up to the

surface. The fish having been suffocated and

not poisoned are therefore safe to eat.

Other trees that did contain poison are also

used. Many have a toxin called saponin. It is

abundant in the inner bark. Laboratory tests

have shown that at concentrations of

1:1000 the saponin from this tree can causes

fish to die in less than one hour. In this case

there was a need to manage the toxin when

eating.

Look for: A tall thin tree on the lower walk of the conservatory behind the seat just under the overpass.

Discussion: Consider the thousands of species of plants in the forests of Queensland and

discuss how Aboriginal people might have first discovered how the bark of this tree would help

them catch fish without poison. Who would ever think to use bark to catch fish, a spear is more

obvious? It leads to the consideration of how long Aboriginal people have been in Australia

and how they passed on learnings to their children. What were the children’s “subjects” and

who were their teachers?

Teaching suggestion: Compare all the equipment we use today when we fish with the minimal

material used by Aboriginal people. Another chance to discuss the importance and advantages

of using energy efficient methods when hunting.

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10. Grass Tree, Xanthorrhoea

quadrangulata

This local plant is a source of sweet nectar in

the Spring when the flowers are in bloom.

Ngarrindjeri people use the shaft of the flower

spike for lightweight spears and for fire sticks.

Grass tree spears are made by attaching a

pointed, hardwood end to

the stem of the flowering

spike. This sharp end is tied

on using kangaroo sinews

and a cement resin gathered

from the trunk of grass-trees.

Both the whitish base of the

young leaves and roots of

the plant are edible. In

summer the seeds are

ground to make flour for

damper.

The stems of the flower sticks are joined to make rafts that allow the

Ngarrindjeri to collect duck and swan eggs from the deep water. In the

Dreaming story Ngurunderi, Ngurunderi’s wives escaped across Lake

Albert on a raft made from grass tree stems and reeds.

Look for: A mass of long, sharp, strap-like green leaves on the end of a short, thick trunk.

Activity: If in flower look for birds and bees collecting nectar. Rub hands together to show how

friction can generate heat for fire Warning: Be careful of the sharp edges of the leaves.

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11. Spear Lily, Doryanthes excelsa

The Spear Lily is native to New South

Wales.

The large flower stalk iss soaked prior to

roasting and eating.

The edible roots are crushed with rocks

and then baked.

The flowers attract many nectar-feeding

birds. Camouflaged hunters with nets

hide under the large leaves waiting to

capture these birds for food.

The leaves can be easily split into strips

for weaving mats and baskets.

Look for: Long, spear shaped leaves. Long arching flower / fruit spike for part of the

year.

Activity: Draw attention to the ways leaves split into long strips and how they would hide bird

hunters. Look through the leaves with the sun behind and you can see the lines which form the

string fibres. There are good examples of mats, baskets and weavings in the Museum of

Economic Botany next to this plant. Open Wed – Sun. 10am – 4pm

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12. Casuarina, Casuarina glauca

Wood from casuarina is hard and

ideal for making a number of

implements including spears,

clubs, clapping sticks, digging

sticks and return boomerangs.

A specialised fighting boomerang

is made from the junction between

the trunk and the root. It is worth

noting that not all Aboriginal

groups used boomerangs.

Look for small cones high up on

the trees. These can be soaked in

drinking water to provide a lemon flavoured drink. The green needle-like branchlets are

chewed to reduce thirst. Casuarina was also a good wood for making fire.

Activity: Encourage students to find parts of the trees that would provide boomerangs,

spears, spear throwers, clubs and digging sticks.

Look for: A small forest composed of large trees and thin saplings growing near the

edge of a creek.

23

Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium of South Ahttps://www.botanicgardens.sa.gov.au/education/schools-education

South Australia. This publication is protected by copyright. It may be reproduced by South Australian teachers for use with their students.