Unique garden features indigenous arid plants and their traditional use

17/05/03
Indigenous arid plants and their use by Aboriginal people for foods, medicines, tools, ceremonies and mythology are the focus of a garden built in the shape of a Karlgurla or Silky Pear at the WA Museum Kalgoorlie-Boulder.
At an official opening ceremony today, Culture and the Arts Minister Sheila McHale said the ethno-botanical garden was the first of its kind in the Goldfields.
"As visitors enter the museum, they discover the region's beginnings - on the land, viewing the plants that were used here for thousands of years," Ms McHale said.
"This will help Western Australians better understand themselves, their environment and their place in the world.
"We also know many international visitors are seeking an interactive experience with Aboriginal people when they visit Australia and the garden will form an excellent basis for this to occur."
Ms McHale announced that the museum would soon be recruiting for a person of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Island descent for a traineeship focusing on tourism, visitor and interpretation training.
"The trainee will enhance the museum experience for visitors by providing regular talks about the garden and demonstrations on the native bush tucker and medicinal value of local plants," she said.
The garden has disabled access and walkways. It was designed by landscape architects Blackwell and Associates of Perth.
The WA Museum Kalgoorlie-Boulder is a major visitor attraction in the Goldfields and attracts about 100,000 people annually.
Minister's office: 9213 6900