Aboriginal Plant Use Student Guide S

 (a) This tree was like a supermarket for the local Adelaide Plains Kaurna people.

Take a close look at the tree and complete the following table to find out why it was a one stop shop.

(a) Comment on the size of these Queensland trees and the amount of fruit Aboriginal people might have collected from these trees.   

Size of Tree: ______________________   

Amount of Fruit: _____________________

(b) What is the problem with a lot of ripe fruit at once ?

_________________________________

(c) How do you think Aboriginal people overcame this ?

     __________________________________

 Take a close look at this plant.  

Resin glue                  leaves

Salad vegetable          flower stem

Fire                             trunk

(b) Why did Ngarrindjeri people have to be careful when collecting nectar and seed from the top of this plant ?

________________________________________

(c) An Adnyamathanha dreaming story warns not to grab onto a type of yacca when climbing steep ravines.
Why ? ________________________

(d) The resin glue was traded or used as a type of currency.

What made it so valuable ? _______________________________

(a) What animal lives in the winding holes in this tree. ____________________

(b) Design and sketch a tool you think Aboriginal people made to get them out. 

(c) What did they look for as evidence a grub is living inside ?

    Look closely at the plant. 

(a) What part could be used to filter water ? _________________________

(b) Describe how it could be done. ________________________________

(c) What part do you think was used to make a sweet cordial drink ? _________

 a) Sketch what you see here. 

(b) How was this tree used by the Kaurna ________________________________________

(c) How did they modify the tree ? _______________

(d) How do you know ? _______________________

(e) Why was it important they did not stay here too long ?

_________________________________________

 Aboriginal people made many different stone tools.

(a) Circle the best Macadamia nut cracker. 

(b) Give two reasons why it is well designed for breaking open this very hard nut.

1. ______________________________2. ______________________________

Each spray of 40 to 50 macadamia flowers produces from four to fifteen ‘nutlets’ which will eventually ripen into nuts.

(c) What is the smallest number of nuts from a mature tree ? _________

(d) What is the largest number ? ___________

(e) Estimate the weight of nuts a fully grown macadamia tree can produce in one year ?

25kg          55kg          105kg

Look closely at the leaf size and leaf colour.

(a) Circle the type of environment you think 

this plant might come from:

Desert       Mallee        Rainforest

The sticky fruits on this tree were used to trap ground walking birds.

(b) Draw how the trap might have worked.
(Hint: include a bird, the sticky fruits and a fruit lure.)

(c) What was the advantage of using traps to catch animals ? 

 (a) How do you think the tree was used during  

long, dry season in Queensland ?

(Hint: note the shape of the trunk.)

_________________________________

(b) Cuts were made to the bark of this tree. The edible, starch rich sap which oozes from the tree to seal the wound was scaped off and eaten.

Look for evidence of natural scarring on the trunk of this tree.

How do you think these scars were formed ?

___________________________________

(c) The dotted lines on the drawing indicate another use, what was it ? ______

 Look for cones growing on these plants.  

The starch-rich seeds inside the cones are poisonous
yet Aboriginal groups throughout Northern Australia
used them for making damper.

(a) How could they have made the seeds safe to eat ?

_____________________________________

(b) Macrozamias groves were deliberately burnt by Aboriginal people.
Why might they have done this to one of their food supplies ?

_____________________________________

This tree was used for fishing in ponds or dammed streams. It did not provide spears, hooks, clubs, or any other normal fishing tackle. The method was so good for hunting that the fish actually floated up to the hunter.

(a) Explain how you think the tree was used to catch fish. 

(b) What were the advantages of fishing this way ?

______________________________________________

(c) What were the disadvantages ? ________________________________________________

(d) How do you think they were overcome ? _________________________________________

Look closely at the leaves. 

(a) How do you think they were used by Aboriginal people ? _____________________

(b) This plant is:

about to fruit     in fruit           finished fruiting          not fruiting

 Enjoy the peace and shade in this lovely grove of trees.

(a) What sort of tools could be made from the thin saplings in this area ?

________________________________________________

(b) Sketch a the part of a larger tree which could be used to make the following weapons.

Boomerang

Spear Thrower

Club

Here are a few questions to help you think about what you have learnt along the trail.

1. (a) What was the most interesting plant use story ?

   (b) What made it interesting for you ?

2. How has the trail changed the way you think about Aboriginal people and their relationship to the land ?

3. Why do you think its has taken up until recent times for the wider community to take a much greater interest in Aboriginal knowledge of the environment ?

4. In what ways could the things you learnt along the trail be of use to you in the future ?

5. Compare traditional use of the land with the way we use the land today.

6. Many tourists who come to Australia want to find out more about Aboriginal culture.

(a) Do you think they would find this type of trail interesting ? Why ?

(b) Why do many people think trails like this should be guided by
      Aboriginal people ?

7. Having completed the walk, why do you think botanic gardens are sometimes called ‘living museums’ ?