Mick Quilliam

The cider gum, eucalyptus gunnii, grows in the highlands of Tasmania. This painting shows a cider gum as a meeting place for Tasmanian Aborigines. The spiral symbol signifies this meeting place. If you slash the bark of this tree it bleeds profusely and the sap can be mixed with water to form an intoxicating liquor. Mick shows people coming from all directions to this tree. The footsteps of many generations cause a trench around the base of these trees that can be seen still today.