Noongar Bush Tucker

Before the colonisation of Australia, Aboriginal Australians lived on a wonderful larder of fresh fruit, vegetables and lean meat, in a land largely free from disease, with more exercise, less stress and supportive communities.

Today, in Aboriginal communities all over Australia, there are higher instances of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, renal disease, some types of cancer and lung diseases than in the general population.

This book is an attempt to preserve bush tucker knowledge for future generations of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people to ensure the information is not lost with the passing of Elders.

The authors describe over 260 species of the edible plants and fungi that were regularly gathered by the Noongars of the Bibbulmun Nation of the south-west of Western Australia before and after colonisation. Many of these plants and fungi are difficult to find today because of land clearing for crops and the farming of sheep and cattle.

Written by Noongar Elder Vivienne Hansen and retired nurse educator John Horsfall, Noongar Bush Tucker has been compiled from knowledge passed on by Noongar Elders. It features images of many of the species described to help the reader recognise the plants and fungi. There is no other book as comprehensive as this one on the bush tucker plants of the south-west of Western Australia.