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Catalogue Number: 25/174
This painting shows some bush tucker found in Central Australia. Aboriginal women from the desert communities go out onto their Country to look for these foods, especially after good rain.
One of the main foods shown here is the yellow and brown honey ant. These ants live deep underground, often near sand hills or around the roots of mulga trees. The women know how to read the ground and find the small signs that show where the nest is. Honey ants are a sweet treat, filled with natural sugar, and they are enjoyed by families when they are found out in the desert.
The women also collect bush tomatoes. These small fruits grow wild across the desert. After rain, the fruit turns yellow when it is ripe and ready to eat. Sometimes the fruit dries on the plant and becomes brown in the hot sun. Even when dried, the bush tomato is still tasty and full of flavour.
The curved symbols in the painting represent the women sitting on the ground. Beside them are their digging sticks, which they use to search for honey ants and other bush foods. The oval shapes show the coolamon bowls, which were used in the old days to carry food.
This painting celebrates the strong knowledge of Aboriginal women. They learn from their mothers, aunties, and grandmothers about where to find bush tucker, how to gather it, and how to care for the land. This knowledge is passed down through the generations and is still an important part of life in Central Australia today.