"Bush Tucker and the Yarns of the Elders: Wisdom from Yuggera, Wiradjuri, and Beyond"

Darrin Creenaune
May 16
5 min read

Australia’s First Nations peoples have been caring for Country for over 65,000 years. Through fire, food, and story, this deep relationship with the land has been passed down by Elders whose voices still echo through the trees, rivers, and winds. Bush tucker, the native food and medicine of these lands, isn’t just nourishment — it’s a living story.

This blog honours the ancient foodways of the Yuggera people of South-East Queensland, the Wiradjuri of inland New South Wales, and other Nations who continue to share their knowledge with respect and care.

The Yuggera People: Food from Forests, Creeks, and Coastal Plains

The Yuggera Nation spans areas now known as Brisbane, Ipswich, and parts of the Scenic Rim. For Yuggera people, bush tucker was gathered with seasonal knowledge and spiritual respect for the land.

Key bush foods of the region include:

Bunya nuts: Collected during large Bunya festivals every 3 years. These gatherings brought many Nations together for trade, ceremony, and kinship.
Macadamia nuts (Kindal Kindal): Traditionally roasted and cracked by hand.
River mussels and fish: Gathered from the creeks and rivers like Maiwar (Brisbane River).

Elder yarns recall the sound of grinding stones and women singing while preparing food — rhythmically connecting generations.

“The bunya tree doesn’t just feed us, it brings us together. You don’t take from it without knowing what it means.”— Uncle Barry, Yuggera Elder

The Bunya gatherings were more than feasts — they were acts of diplomacy and cultural strength. These gatherings are still honoured today through song, dance, and language revival.

The Wiradjuri People: River Country, Yam Fields, and Cultural Fire

The Wiradjuri Nation, one of the largest Aboriginal nations in Australia, covers a vast area of

central NSW, often referred to as the "people of the three rivers": the Lachlan, Macquarie, and Murrumbidgee.

Wiradjuri Elders speak of:

Yam daisies (murnong): Dug with digging sticks and roasted in earth ovens.
Bogong moths: A rich protein source, collected seasonally in the high country.
Water plants like cumbungi and nardoo, used for food and flour.

Cultural burns were used to care for the land — clearing old growth, encouraging new food plants, and attracting game. This fire-stick farming technique made the landscape more productive and less prone to catastrophic fire.

“The language tells you where to go, what to eat, when to take it, and when to leave it. That’s what bush tucker means — it's law and knowledge in one.”— Uncle Stan Grant Sr, Wiradjuri Elder

The Wiradjuri word for Country is Ngurambang — meaning more than just land; it is everything: the air, the stories, the ancestors.

Modern Connections: Keeping the Knowledge Alive

Today, both Yuggera and Wiradjuri communities are involved in:

Bush food gardens and education centres
Language revival projects that reconnect food with its traditional names
Cultural tourism that allows visitors to learn directly from community members
Native food enterprises owned and operated by First Nations families

Some Elders now work alongside chefs, educators, and researchers to ensure cultural knowledge is preserved and honoured, not appropriated or exploited.

Recipes Honouring Yuggera and Wiradjuri Ingredients

Bunya Nut Pesto (Yuggera-inspired)

Boiled and shelled bunya nuts
Native basil
Macadamia oil
Wattleseed
Blend until smooth and serve with damper

Murnong Mash (Wiradjuri-inspired)

Yam daisies (or substitute with parsnip)
Roasted and mashed with bush butter
Add a touch of saltbush for flavour

A Note on Respect and Cultural Protocol

When exploring bush tucker, it's essential to recognise that:

Many plants and animals are sacred to specific Nations.
Harvesting must be sustainable and permission-based.
Knowledge must be shared ethically, with the voices of Elders at the centre.

If you’re not sure, ask. If you can’t ask, don’t take.

Final Words

The Yarn of the Yuggera, Wiradjuri, and other First Nations peoples remind us that food is not just something we consume — it’s part of a deeper relationship with Country. To walk alongside this knowledge, we must listen more than we speak, and tread gently where others have walked for thousands of years.

“The land feeds you when you care for it. That’s what the old people taught us. That’s why we still speak for it now.”— Elder, Wiradjuri Nation

Australia’s ancient landscape holds a deep, nourishing wisdom — and bush tucker is at the heart of it. For over 65,000 years, Aboriginal people have lived in harmony with the land, passing down knowledge of edible plants, native animals, and sacred seasonal cycles. This is food that tells a story — and Elders are the storytellers.

More Than Food: Bush Tucker as Culture and Connection

In every bite of bush tucker is a story — not just of flavour, but of survival, respect, and Country.

Uncle Neville from the Wiradjuri Nation once shared:

“We don’t just gather food — we listen to the land. It tells us when to pick, when to leave it, when to share. The land teaches you if you’re listening.”

From the saltbush plains to the eucalyptus forests, every region holds its own food map. And these maps are handed down not with paper or GPS, but through song, ceremony, and story.

The Seven Seasons of the Noongar People

In the south-west of Western Australia, the Noongar people observe six seasons, not four — each tied to bush foods and animal behaviors:

Birak (December–January): Time to harvest bush berries and hunt lizards.
Bunuru (February–March): Hot and dry — time to gather freshwater foods.
Djeran (April–May): Cooler weather, yam daisies begin to appear.
Makuru (June–July): Ideal for kangaroo hunting.
Djilba (August–September): A time of birth — wildflowers bloom.
Kambarang (October–November): The season of snakes and ripe quandongs.

These natural rhythms guide everything — when to forage, when to rest, when to burn to renew the land.

Bush Tucker Healing: Medicine from the Earth

Bush tucker isn’t just food — it’s medicine. Indigenous knowledge includes thousands of years of plant-based healing.

Kakadu Plum (Northern Territory): One of the richest sources of Vitamin C, used to boost immunity.
Old Man Saltbush: Used to reduce inflammation and flavour meats.
Tea Tree Leaves (Bundjalung Nation): Crushed into poultices or steam for antiseptic uses.

Elder Aunty Daphne from the Yorta Yorta Nation shared:

“When you gather, you ask. You talk to the plant. You don’t just take. That’s what keeps the medicine strong.”

From Campfire to Kitchen: Recipes Inspired by Tradition

Here are three simple recipes that honour bush tucker in everyday cooking:

1. Lemon Myrtle Damper

2 cups self-raising flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp ground lemon myrtle
1 cup water
Bake in hot coals or oven at 200°C for 30 mins.

2. Kangaroo with Pepperberry Sauce

Pan-sear kangaroo fillet
Simmer cream with crushed pepperberries
Serve with roasted sweet potato and warrigal greens

3. Bush Tomato Relish

Bush tomatoes (dried or fresh)
Onion, garlic, native thyme, vinegar, brown sugar
Simmer to reduce and jar for future use

Walking Gently: How to Support Indigenous Food Knowledge

If you’re discovering bush tucker for the first time, approach it with the same respect it’s been given for thousands of years. Here’s how:

Buy from Indigenous-owned producers and growers
Learn the stories behind the food
Respect cultural protocols — some plants and animals are sacred or protected
Share knowledge only with permission

As Uncle Joe from the Arrernte people says:

“If you want to walk with us, listen first. The land speaks, but only if you slow down enough to hear.”

Bush tucker is not just a meal — it’s a memory, a medicine, and a map to Country. May we honour it with open minds, full hearts, and listening ears.