Yarrun (Wattle) Original by Gertie Deeral

“Different signs in the bush tell you the different seasons of the year, what things you can touch, what you can use, and what you can eat. When you see that the wattle is in bloom, you know that the sea foods are ready to go – the crabs and the prawns are fully grown and ready to catch. The fish, sea urchin, oysters, even the turtle are fat and really yummy. I don’t know what time of year it is but we just look at the wattle in bloom, then we know! Our grandfathers and grandmothers didn’t know the months of the year – they’d just look at the flowers.”

This design was created at the HopeVale Arts and Culture Centre during a workshop with Cairns based Textile artist Bobbie Rueben.