The project documents a hitherto poorly recorded form of traditional Indigenous cultural and artistic practice, as well as information about the lives of Indigenous and non-Indigenous people living on missions and pastoral properties prior to and immediately following European Contact.
Boabs with carvings of animals, birds, tracks and serpentine lines at Camballin Spring, Bradshaw Station. Photo: Darrell Lewis
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Photo supplied by Professor Sue O Connor
Thu, 2 Nov - Fri, 3 Nov 2023
Photo Credit: Distinguished Professor Susan O'Connor
Boab trees in the northern Tanami desert with Indigenous carvings of coiled snakes (Photo Credit: Darrell Lewis)
The significance of the project lies in its ability to record information about the lives of people not captured in other types of historical documents. The project will document these heritage trees using state-of-the-art 3-D photogrammetry to build a baseline record for the future.
Boab trees in the northern Tanami desert with Indigenous carvings of coiled snakes (Photo Credit: Darrell Lewis)
Darrell Lewis sitting next to a low branch with deeply carved snakes (Photo Credit: Darrell Lewis)
Boabs with carvings of animals, birds, tracks and serpentine lines at Camballin Spring, Bradshaw Station. Photo: Darrell Lewis
Race against time to find ancient Indigenous carvings
Researchers are working with a group of First Nations Australians in a race against time to document ancient art in the bark of Australia’s boab trees in some of the roughest terrain on Earth.