The Revival of a Lost Art

My picture of the carved Red Gum tree in the Royal Botanic Garden of Sydney

The beauty and craftsmanship of the skyscrapers of Sydney made Tuesday’s architecture tour one of the most fascinating experiences of this trip to date.  However, as I write this blog post, I find myself reverting back to a different, more natural structure that stuck out to me on that day.  This being the carved Red Gum tree located within the Royal Botanic Garden of Sydney.  The tree is over 200 years old and represents original vegetation of the land predating European settlement.  The tree died approximately 15 years ago, but its death provided an opportunity for the Royal Botanic Garden to honor the customs of Sydney’s original inhabitants by allowing a traditional carving of its trunk.  

The practice of tree carving Gum trees has been taking place in New South Wales for thousands of years.  The Aboriginal used these scarred trees as markers and warning signs for sites of special significance.  They often marked the burial sites of important members of the tribe, which served as powerful initiation symbols for boys preparing for manhood.  Following the arrival of Europeans and the forced assimilation of Aboriginal culture, many Aboriginal people strayed from their native ceremonies and adopted more traditional European-style funerals.  This trend combined with the destruction of existing trees through land clearing, farming and bush fires has led to very few traditionally carved trees remaining.

Picture found online of Vic Simms at work

The tree in my photograph has the traditional aboriginal carvings on the upper half of the trunk as well as representations of five aborigines people carved into the bottom portion.  The traditional carvings were done by aboriginal artist and elder Vic Simms, who used six different patterns to represent different tribal groups across central, western and north-western NSW.  Simms, who is a member of the Bidjigal people, believes that works of art like this, in the heart of Sydney, will help revive the art form and inspire those with Aboriginal descent to embrace their culture.  

I feel that Simms intentions and the art work itself are representative of Australia’s history and elements of its culture that continue to evolve today.  Europeans came to Australia with ambitions of taking advantage of a large, unclaimed piece of land for their benefit.  Their discovery of indigenous inhabitants did little to impede that vision.  The Europeans lack of respect for the Aboriginal claim to the land was accurately represented in the North British Review article we discussed in class, which basically said that the indigenous people merely lived upon the land.  Their lack of cultivation meant they had no legitimate claim to it.  I found a quote online from Aboriginal elder, Tom Dystra, that elegantly describes the difference in view.  This man said, “We cultivate our land, but in a way different from the white man.  We endeavor to live with the land; they seem to live off it.”

The top and bottom halves of the trunk represent different interpretations of the Aboriginal people.  The bottom half contains the carvings of Aboriginal faces, which I perceive to be a representation of the physical, superficial characteristics of Australia’s native people.  While it is important to recognize the appearance of the Aboriginal, it is infinitely more significant to recognize their culture and ideals.  That is why I find it fitting that the top half of the tree contains the authentic cultural patterns that were seen throughout the land before European colonization.

The display of the tree within the Royal Botanic Garden of Sydney is also significant.  The garden is a space of vegetation that is protected from the destructive powers of human construction.  Not even the shadows of the nearby skyscrapers are allowed to touch this green oasis.  It would only make sense for this piece of Aboriginal culture to be within a place that seeks to respect the natural land it sits upon.  This is perfectly inline with the indigenous peoples views of the importance of respecting the land.  Aboriginal life is governed by the land, their connection to it gives them their identity and sense of belonging.

The beautifully carved tree within the Royal Botanic Garden is a visual masterpiece, but it is also an important reminder of the culture of the original inhabitants of Australia.  Its close proximity to the vast urban landscape of downtown Sydney is reflective of the hopeful coexistence of the western values of Australia with the land preservation ideals of the Aboriginal people.  This serves as a reminder to the Australian people that Aboriginal culture must be kept alive especially in today’s age of environmental destruction.