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Catalogue Number: 25/47
This painting tells the story of bush tomatoes, a fruit found in the Central Desert region of Australia. Bush tomatoes have soft grey-green leaves and bright yellow flowers. After the rains come, the plants bloom. When the fruit ripens, it turns from green to a yellow-brown colour and becomes sweet and ready to eat.
In the painting, women are shown gathering these fruits. The curved shapes represent the women as they sit together on the land. They are collecting the ripe bush tomatoes into coolamons—traditional wooden bowls used in the old days for carrying bush food
For Aboriginal families in remote Central Australia, bush tomatoes are more than just food. They are part of a larger tradition of bush tucker—native plants and animals that people have gathered and cared for over thousands of years. Knowing where to find the fruit is passed down through generations, keeping traditional knowledge alive.