Aboriginal customs mark changes in the garden

As part of a cultural initiative, the bark was scarred to honor a mature gray box gum tree that had stood for nearly 150 years.

Scarring practices involve intentionally removing bark and wood from trees. Considered a versatile and plentiful material, bark was often used by Aboriginal people to construct shelters, shields, canoes and ships (coolamon).

The bark removed from the settlement gardens is turned into coolamon, donated to Nepean Hospital and used in delivery rooms for Aboriginal parents to deliver their newborn children, as well as other departments.

The tree scar was done by Aboriginal man Wayne Cornish of the Mulu Mitiger Aboriginal Culture and Education Center and Brad Moore and son Lachlan Moore of Greater Sydney Local Land Service .

The hospital’s settlement garden, which contains many of the small native plants, has been moved closer to the hospital’s entrance.

Opened in 2002, the gardens are dedicated to the Stolen Generations of Aboriginal people and honored Dr. Chris Kollenberg and Dr. In memory of Professor Brian Spurlett.