Kangaroo Grass (Themeda triandra)

Kangaroo Grass (Themeda triandra)

Prior to European invasion Kangaroo Grass was an important food for Indigenous Australians, with its seeds made into a porridge or ground to make flour for bread. Kangaroo Grass was skilfully cultivated, harvested and stored and once formed a large part of the landscape of the low-lying plains of Victoria. In New South Wales, grinding stones with Kangaroo Grass seed residue show Aboriginal bread-making using this plant occurred at least 36,000 years ago, proving Aboriginal people as the first to harness technologies to make bread. Kangaroo Grass is also used by several Aboriginal groups in the manufacture of nets for hunting.

Soure: Indigenous plant use; A booklet on the medicinal, nutritional and technological use of indigenous plants; By Zena Cumpston; Clean Air and Urban Landscapes (CAUL) Hub in Melbourne 2020