Before the colonisation of Australia, Aboriginal Australians lived on a wonderful larder of fresh fruit, vegetables and lean meat, in a land largely free from disease, with more exercise, less stress and supportive communities.

Today, in Aboriginal communities all over Australia, there are higher instances of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, renal disease, some types of cancer and lung diseases than in the general population.

This book is an attempt to preserve bush tucker knowledge for future generations of Aboriginal and non- Aboriginal people to ensure the information is not lost with the passing of Elders.

The authors describe over 260 species of the edible plants and fungi that were regularly gathered by the Noongars of the Bibbulmun Nation of the south-west of Western Australia before and after colonisation. Many of these plants and fungi are difficult to find today because of land clearing for crops and the farming of sheep and cattle.

Written by Noongar Elder Vivienne Hansen and retired nurse educator John Horsfall, Noongar Bush Tucker has been compiled from knowledge passed on by Noongar Elders. It features images of many of the species described to help the reader recognise the plants and fungi. There is no other book as comprehensive as this one on the bush tucker plants of the south-west of Western Australia.

Author Biography: Vivienne 'Binyarn' Hansen is a Balladong Wadjuk Yorga woman from the Bibbulmun Nation, or Noongar people, of the south-west of Western Australia. After a childhood of learning about traditional medicine, Vivienne undertook formal training at the Marr Mooditj Foundation and completed Certificate IV in Bush and Western Herbal Medicine. She was also the first Indigenous member of the National Herbalist Association of Australia and presented at the 7th International Conference on Herbal Medicine in 2010.

John Horsfall has had a long career as a Mental Health and General Nurse. He has taught at the Western Australian School of Nursing and, later, at the Curtin University Centre for Aboriginal Studies. He was the Training Coordinator at the Specialist Aboriginal Mental Health Service in Perth before retiring in 2013.

Review:

'Like its companion volume Noongar Bush Medicine, this compact book, filled with concise information and large colour photographs for easy identification of the various plants in question, is perfect for those trips down south...With an emphasis on health and the preservation of bush tucker lore for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people alike, Noongar Bush Tucker presents more than 260 species of edible plants and fungi which the Noongars of the Bibbulmun Nation traditionally gathered. An indispensable reference book.' — The West Australian

• Format: Softback
• Pages: 442
• Dimensions: H 229mm x W 152mm
• ISBN: 9781760800420