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Catalogue Number: 25/364
This painting shows Aboriginal women gathering a special bush medicine plant that grows wild across Central Australia. The plant is often found in rocky country and along the sides of hills. It has tiny yellow flowers, and the women can sometimes find it just by its scent carried on the wind.
The brown curved shapes in the artwork represent the women sitting on the ground. They are working together. After a big rain, the leaves turn green, and this is the best time for harvesting.
Once the leaves are gathered, the women crush them and boil them in water to make a healing medicine. The mixture creates a strong, soothing oil that can be rubbed onto the skin to help with aches, pains, coughs, and flu. It is a natural remedy that has been trusted for many generations.
This tradition is passed down from mothers, aunties, and grandmothers to daughters and nieces. It shows the deep connection between families, culture, and the healing plants of the desert.