I spy with my little eye something beginning with Q: -Queitjat at the Quay

Day 33, a plant a day, Calothamnus, 26 November 2020

Queijat at Elizabeth Quay 25 November 2020

So excited today to see net bush (or Queitjat in Noongar, or one-sided bottlebrush, or Calothamnus ) at Elizabeth Quay! This is one of my favourite Lowlands Coastal Reserve plants. It’s a common roadside plant, and I’ve also planted it along our driveway, and we grow it in our garden. With its red nectar bearing flowers, it is loved by our silver eyes and honeyeaters. Red flowers are often bird pollinated.

Queijat growing in our garden 29 November 2020 (Calothamnus quadrifida)

Preiss recorded the Noongar name for this plant in 1841. It is a bush tucker plant, in common with other nectar plants, Noongar people would suck the flowers and also soak the flowers in paperbark lined depressions to make a sweet drink.

The internet is a wonderful thing, here is Priess’s botany book, written in Latin, showing the Noongar name Queitjat for this plant

I’m quite impressed with the signage efforts at Elizabeth Quay, which include several references to Noongar culture and history. There is also a native garden depicting a Noongar story, a water play area incorporating Aboriginal art and a large Noongar designed sculpture

Moon sculpture in Noongar story native garden, large bird in boat sculpture designed by Noongar artist Laurel Nannup at Elizabeth Quay, also celebrated at Boola Bardip, miniature reproduction displayed in WA museum

Great to see grass trees being celebrated in the native garden. The story incorporated in the native garden is of two young Noongar brothers who swam in the Boorloo (Perth) Waters at the forbidden time of the full moon. They were banished to Ngooloormaylup (Carnac Island), then transformed into sealions, before becoming immortalised as stars in the constellation of Cygnus. The gardens are named Mieka Place (Moon Place) after the story. In the gardens, the Balga represent the Whadjuk mob, the Sheoaks are the elders and the large sculpture is of Meika , the moon. The jarrah, the rocks and the moon sculpture are carefully placed in the garden to represent compass points and also the actual directions to Ngooloormaylup when viewed from the sculpture. All these features are helping me to learn country ever new to me.

Queitjat at Elizabeth Quay , looking Chistmassy

Fruits and seeds developing, but still Queitjat flowers to admire at Elizabeth Quay

I accidentally visited Boola Bardip (newly opened WA Museum). I was chatting to the security guard, about when I could visit without being allocated an opening ticket (one in eight chance, 50,000 tickets over 10 days, 400,000 applicants) and was over the moon about then being given a ticket for the 2pm entry which someone had been unable to use.

Boola Bardip (many stories) is amazing and overwhelming and astonishing and harrowing — the exhibit on massacres of Aboriginal people morphing into the current issues of black deaths in custody left me in shock and grief.

The history of massacres of Aboriginal people and the current issues of black deaths in custody is devastating. Putuparri’s headress from the movie Putuparri and the rainmakers, decorated with paperbark shavings. Kodj axe and Mokare story

The architecture of the building is stunning and the displays and curating are thoughtful and thorough. Many of the displays (biodiversity, geology, stars, history, social) are infused with Aboriginal significance.

Our own Vernice Gillies (Menang elder) features in a display about fishtraps. Fanny Balbuk story, a Whadjuk warrior, “the stars speak” dark emu Artwork from 25 year old Noongar artist Jade Dolman

There is an emphasis on displays, presentations and interpretive interactive explanations rather than show cabinets of exhibits. I rather miss the multitude of drawers (there are still about six) from the old museum which had so many species of invertebrates and other specimens— the oldfashioned labelled exhibits have been pared down to tell more human-centric stories. The marine section is pretty big though. Wonderful seven sisters Pleiades exhibition from the Martu and other desert peoples, singing up country, dancing and artwork to reinforce knowledge encoded in 7,000 kilometre songlines stretching across the land.

Our South Coast ruby seadragon, which also featured a photo of the researcher Nerida Wilson, Magnificent seven sisters exhibition

In retrospect, my favourite exhibit was this recently handpainted pillow by a desert Aboriginal elder — “With the mental freedom which comes with age”, the artist paints on all sorts of objects, rugs, bed spreads, her wheelchair…

Writing this daily blog featuring a plant a day and walking daily is my fundraising effort for Bush Heritage #groundworkchallenge . To join my team or donate go to https://www.groundworkchallenge.org.au/fundraisers/sheilamurray/2020?fbclid=IwAR2HbNn0YsCCc3tiSK-_lbF5xLsssaD8wjGHaUwVYrRqYxM-kdJkijoj2N0

Derbal Yerrigan (Swan River) is part of Whadjuk Boodja — Country. I recognise and respect the Traditional Owners of this Country and their connection to the lands, waters and skies.

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