I owe a vast debt to senior Aboriginal cultural mentors and bushcraft teachers who, since 1970, have educated me about traditional living on their lands and waters, and about their engagement with resources of the Australian bush. Many have also been my language teachers. Of particular relevance here is that a good number taught me a great deal about the spiritual propagation of species and about plant classification, garnering and use in the rich non-agricultural economy that was their common heritage. The main people in these various regards, although there have been hundreds more who played smaller roles, are:
Dick Hoolihan and Harry Gertz (Gugu-Badhun, north Queensland); Johnny Flinders and Maryanne Mundy (Flinders Island group, Cape York Peninsula (CYP)); Alec Niger (Kaanju, CYP); Alec Sandy, Michael Sandy, Sandy Yella and Johnson Butcher (Sandbeach people, eastern CYP); Isobel Wolmby, Victor Wolmby, Noel Peemuggina, Ray Wolmby, Dan Gothachalkenin, Billy Landis Gothachalkenin, Johnny Lak Lak Ampeybegan, Silas Wolmby, Bruce Yunkaporta, Alan Wolmby, Rex Walmbeng, Paddy Yantumba, Jack Sleep Yunkaporta, Clive Yunkaporta, George Sydney Yunkaporta, Jack Spear Karntin, Tarchee Ngakapoorgum, Archiewald Otomorathin, Dugal Tarpencha, Clara Tarpencha and Ron Yunkaporta (Wik people, western CYP); Pompey Raymond (Jingulu, NT); Pharlap Dixon Jalyirri (Mudburra, NT); Dick Ngulayngulay Murrumurru (Kunwinjku/Dangbon, NT); Jimmy Tapnguk and Lofty Smith (Malak Malak, NT); Long Harry (Madngele, NT); Engineer Jack Japaljarri, Charlie Charles Jakamarra and Dolly Granites (Warlpiri, NT); Arthur Warren, Brian Marks and Glen Hull (Arabana, SA); David Malangi (Djinang, NT); Jimmy Wululu (Gupapuyngu, NT); Linda Crombie (Wangkangurru, SA); Windlass Aluritja, Nellie Armunta, Johnny Jango, Milly Okai, Dora Walkabout, Nguyunguyu Donald, Tony Tjamiwa, Donald Frazer, Reggie Uluru and Cassidy Uluru (Yankunytjatjara, NT/SA); Barbara Nipper (Pitjantjatjara, SA/WA/NT); Malya Teamay (Luritji/Arrernte, NT); Clancy MacKellar and Malcolm Ebsworth (Wangkumara, south-west Queensland).
A special thanks as well to colleagues the late Athol Chase and John von Sturmer, who included botanical studies and plant-specimen collecting in our site and country mapping of eastern Cape York Peninsula, under instruction by traditional owners and Athol’s leadership, right through the wet season of 1975–76, where I was engaged to concentrate on plant linguistic identifications and use, and environmental language. Ethnobotanist Philip Clarke has assisted me greatly with literature sources.
Similarly, I thank Dermot Smyth, then an ecologist and botanist, who collaborated with Wik seniors and me to carry out two fairly arduous bush plant use studies in 1978 and 1979 between the Archer and Holroyd rivers, western Cape York. The specimens collected on all these trips are in the Queensland Herbarium. Zoologist Glen Ingram did field work with us on Wik zoology, especially birds, in 1979.
Special thanks go also to Lea Gardam of the South Australian Museum Archives for assistance with images from that collection.
Acknowledgment is made to the following Aboriginal land or heritage councils, associations and committees with whom I have had the privilege to collaborate on archaeological research projects, repatriation or consultancy contracts 1990–2018:
ACT Aboriginal Heritage Corporation, 1990s: Ngunnawal
NSW Aboriginal Land Councils, 1990s: Barkindji, Birpai, Bunyah, Purfleet-Taree
SA, 1990s–2018 Aboriginal Heritage Council/Association/Committee for: Adnyamathanha, Barngarla, Boandik, Dieri, Far West Coast, First People of the River Murray, Kaurna, Kokatha, Koonibba, Kungari, Kuyani, Mirning, Narungga, Nauo, Ngadjuri, Ngarrindjeri, Nukunu, Peramangk, Ramindjeri, Tatiara, United Yuras, Wirangu, Yalata.
We are both grateful to the following colleagues who commented on draft sections of this book or who supplied specific information upon inquiry: Barry Alpher, Robert Amery, Val Attenbrow, Geoffrey Bagshaw, Caitlin Bonham Smith, Maggie Brady, John Carty, Athol Chase, Philip Clarke, Alan Cooper, Christophe Darmangeat, Bob Ellis, Tom Gara, Lily Gurambara, Nathan Hollier, Paul Irish, Philip Jones, Ian Keen, Judith Littleton, Alan Magnusson, Chris Majewski, Betty Meehan, Paul Memmott, Francesca Merlan, John Morton, David Nash, Christine Nicholls, Noel Pearson, Nicolas Peterson, Nick Piper, Ruth Singer, Mike Smith, Dermot Smyth, Clara Stockigt, Jared Thomas, Petronella Vaarzon-Morel, Leslie Van Gelder, Jean-Christophe Verstraete, J Peter White, Ray Wood, Stephen Zagala, and three anonymous manuscript referees.
Thank you to our meticulous editor, Katie Purvis, and Louise Stirling and the team at Melbourne University Publishing.