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Bush Medicine : Bush Medicine

Bush Medicine

Acknowledgement of Country

Mount St Benedict College acknowledges and pays respect to the past and present traditional custodians and Elders of this nation- The Dhurug People and the continuation of cultural, spiritual and educational practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Ancestors have walked this country and we acknowledge their special and unique place in our nation’s historical, cultural and linguistic identity.

Visitors should be aware that this Research Guide may contain images or documentation relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who are deceased.

Finding Resources in Accessit

Here are some books that you may find useful during your studies.  Search the Bennies catalogue Accessit for more, or browse the Non-fiction collection NFS...

Australian Geographic

IN TRADITIONAL ABORIGINAL CULTURE, the concept of healing an individual through the natural environment  – using bush medicine – was ultimately entwined with the spiritual world and not just the physical. A healer was not just a ‘bush clinician’, but also an expert medium operating between the sick and the spiritual world.

Sustainable Gardening Australia

This guide will  acknowledge and celebrate the First Nations people of this continent and their connection with the land,flora and fauna of what is now known as Australia.

Bush Medicine Videos- YouTube

ClickView

This clip looks at how Western science has paid little attention to traditional plant knowledge, and reveals how this is now starting to change.

This clip shows how the first Australians needed a highly sophisticated system to identify thousands of species of plants which demonstrates an extraordinary body of knowledge that is still alive today.

YouTube

Steve Kemp is an indigenous man living in Woorabinda with a passion for plants. See Steve describe the practical and medicinal uses that his people have for plants in the area. This video is part of a series developed through funding from the Australian Government to increase the knowledge and understanding of local traditional ecological knowledge. Elders have shared their knowledge of local landscapes to ensure it is available to future generations in an easily accessible format.

ABC Splash

Did you know that you can mix the nectar from some native flowers with water to make a sweet drink? Explore the Royal Botanic Gardens of Sydney with Gardening Australia presenter Clarence Stockee, and discover plants used by Aboriginal people. Find out about some native Australian bush foods, such as Kurrajong seeds, and how to prepare them safely.

Resources

Aboriginal use of plants of the Greater Melbourne area.

Bush Medijina

Bush medicine refers to ancient and traditional Aboriginal use of native Australian botanicals for the use of physical & spiritual healing, that has been in practice for thousands of years. 

Bush Tucker and Medicine

Acknowledgements: We would like to acknowledge the traditional Noongar owners and custodians of the knowledge used in these Fact Sheets.- 

Australian National Botanic Garden

A bibliography of bush medicine and Aboriginal uses, prepared by the staff at the Australian National Botanic Gardens Library.

ABC Splash

Watch as a group of Aboriginal city children are taken on a trip to the country to find out how to make a didgeridoo, use bush medicine and what plants and insects can provide food.

Muru Mittigar

Aboriginal traditional medicine is one of the world’s oldest and most profound healing systems, practised by Australia’s First Nations peoples for over 60,000 years.