Flora

Mother Seed
Deep time - the ancestral journey of the Mother Seed begins below the surface of the Earth. Creation stories unfold. Biological patterns of life evolve.

Sleeping Yams
Beneath the cracked clay lie the sleeping yams. Interconnected in their subterranean world, they listen to the footsteps of people following trade routes and connect ancestral songlines.

Lungs of Country
Plants capture energy from sunlight, converting it into oxygen and glucose which allows humans, animals and other life on Earth to survive. The air we breathe, food we eat and shelter we take is a delicate balance of ecosystems, understanding of Country, held in ancient knowledge.

Grass Keepers – Spinifex
Grasses care for the soil, provide a home for animals, resin for trade and fibers for weaving. Spinifex Grasses cover vast areas of the continent, connecting people to Country and community.

Grass Keepers - Weaving Women
Weaving and fibrecraft combines practical craftsmanship with deep cultural, spiritual and social meaning.

Hooves are Coming
Colonisation served the British Empire’s political, economic, and socio-cultural goals. Hard hooved animals and introduced plants destroy the balance of delicate ecosystems echoing how European mindsets destroyed First Nations societies.

10 Days
Sir Joseph Banks (1743-1820) removes hundreds of species from their natural environment. Ripped from their native Story and their cultural home, Banks’ ‘discovery’ is the largest collection of its kind at the time and helps to elevate him to a position of significant prestige and influence as the British Empire expands and continues the exploitation of People, Culture and Country. The collecting of species and objects to display in museums reduces First Nations People and cultures to artifact status. *

* Flora Specimens shown in 10 Days are indicative of significance to First Nations peoples, not reflective of the original specimens collected by Joseph Banks in 1770.

Golden Wattle
Highly valued for its practical use, the natural cycles of Golden Wattle also announce seasonal changes; when the fish are breeding, when the pollinators arrive and when ants feed from the nectar. In 1912, the Federal Government appropriates the wattle for inclusion in the national coat of arms and in 1988 the ‘Green and Gold’ becomes the official floral emblem of Australia. The role of the Golden Wattle to unite and build a nation contradicts its critical significance in the lives of First Nations people and the natural world that they care for.

Repatriation
Repatriating plant species from botanical institutions restores living heritage to Country, reconnecting seeds, restoring Knowledge, and strengthening Culture.

Grass Tree Warriors
The Grass Tree holds deep cultural and spiritual significance for First Nations Peoples. Symbolising both protection and resilience, the qualities of the Grass Tree closely mirror those of First Nations warriors.

Fire Song
Fire - a vital tool for survival, a sacred force of renewal and connection to Land. Fire-stick farming altered plant distributions, encouraging fire-adapted species like eucalypts and banksias to germinate.

Bush Flowers
Australian flora underpins the personal, social, and spiritual foundations of First Nations Peoples through resilience and identity in perpetuity. This living relationship with native plants supports not just survival, but the commitment to hope, healing, and the building of a healthy and sustainable future.