Mick Quilliam

Coastal Wattles are a common plant featured throughout the Tasmanian coastal landscape and an exceptionally useful plant throughout Aboriginal Culture. This painting represents the ripe wattle seeds that have fallen to the ground. The mass of dried wattle seed pods form like a carpet under the trees and contain food ready to collect. The red and yellow spirals represent the pith surrounding the seed. Both the green and ripe seeds are very nutritious and a great source of protein. The green seeds were eaten like peas. Ripe seeds were ground, moistened and roasted to make a damper. The dry riverbed represents a landmark within the landscape, a great place to find areas where seeds can be collected. On the East Coast we are surrounded by these foods and it is a reminder of our changing seasons and how mother earth can provide us with so much.