HERITAGE TREE CARVINGS NEED PRESERVING

Courtesy Darrell Lewis.

GEOFF VIVIAN

Jaru Traditional Owners and archaeologists from Australian National University have found 12 ancient boab trees carved with traditional designs in the Tanami Desert.

Brenda Garstone said the find was like a pot of gold to her family, especially her mother who was a member of the stolen generation, only reconnecting with her relatives as an adult.

Courtesy Darrell Lewis.

“They would say ‘you mob for Igalyilalya, you Bottle Tree Dreaming’ and she never questioned: ‘well where is that?’,” Ms Garstone said. “It’s deemed disrespectful if you question too much.”

Professor Sue O’Connor said they took thousands of photographs as it was important to preserve the images which were in danger of disappearing.

“Some of them are being damaged by insects and there’s also problems with cattle and camels because in droughts they chew at the outside bark,” she said. “As you know Boabs store water so they damage the carvings potentially too.”

Professor O’Connor said the trees they found were all on Birrindudu station just east of the NT border, but they planned to return to the Tanami to search for more carved boab trees.