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Status: Stock

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Jawirli (desert quongdong, native peach)

 

Jawirli (desert quongdong, native peach) by Natasha Williams is part of a series of bushfood depictions, originally painted on country in preparation for Martumili Exhibition, Mirrka (bushfoods).

 

Jawirli (desert quongdong, native peach) is an evergreen tree found throughout the central deserts and southern areas of Australia. The plant produces a medium sized waxy red fruit with a thin layer of flesh over a tough seed. The flesh can be consumed cooked or raw, while the seed inside the tough shell can be crushed into a paste used to relieve sore gums.

During the pujiman (traditional, desert dwelling) period, Martu would traverse very large distances annually in small family groups, moving seasonally from water source to water source, and hunting and gathering bush tucker as they went. Whilst desert life has moved away from mobile hunter-gatherer subsistence throughout the course of the twentieth century, bush tucker continues to be a significant component of the modern Martu diet. Hunting and gathering bush tucker remain equally valuable as an important cultural practice that is passed on intergenerationally. Though hunting and gathering implements have been modernised, methods of harvesting, tracking and the use of fire burning to drive animals from their retreats are still commonly practiced today.