Literary Imaginings of the Bunya single work   criticism  
Issue Details: First known date: 2002... 2002 Literary Imaginings of the Bunya
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AbstractHistoryArchive Description

'By the time that Europeans became acquainted with the bunya, the gum tree was already well established as the iconic Australian tree. The genus Eucalyptus, with all its locally specific variants, was both distinctive to the continent and widely dispersed throughout it. In contrast, the bunya tree (classified as Araucaria bidwillii in 1843) grew in a small area of what is now South-East Queensland and was seen by few Europeans before the 1840s, when Moreton Bay was opened to free settlement. The physical distinctiveness of the bunya tree, and stories of the large gatherings which accompanied the triennial harvesting ofits nut, aroused the curiosity of early European explorers and settlers, and in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries the bunya tree achieved a special status in local civic culture. Although heavy logging had largely destroyed the great bunya forests, the tree was planted extensively in school grounds, around war memorials and in long avenues in parks.' (Introduction) 

Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of

  • Appears in:
    y separately published work icon Queensland Review vol. 9 no. 2 November 2002 Z1008273 2002 periodical issue 'The bunya pine (Araucaria bidwillii) is an icon of the natural and cultural heritage of Queensland and one of an elite group of trees that is admired and studied around the world. Endemic to Queensland, the bunya's majestic height, unique silhouette and dark green foliage set it apart from other trees of the Australian bush. Revered as sacred by its Indigenous custodians, the bunya's prolific seasonal harvests of edible nuts provided the catalyst for ceremonial gatherings of thousands of people, many of them from hundreds of kilometres away. To this day the tree retains a significant place in the spiritual life of Queensland's Indigenous peoples. Early colonists were entranced, by these spiritual connections and they wove together tales of mystique and romance that still shape our imaginings and continue to inspire novelists, artists and historians. The bunya's ancient lineage, with links going back in time to the age of the dinosaurs, adds to its air of mystery. A host of treasured personal and community memories envelope the tree. The nuts have provided a novel seasonal treat for generations of Queenslanders and the heavy seed-bearing cones are the subject of countless yarns about narrowly missed injury to persons sheltering beneath its branches.' (Introduction)  2002 pg. 65-79

Works about this Work

Encounters with Trees : A Life with Leaves in the Brisbane Suburbs Patrick Buckridge , 2012 single work criticism
— Appears in: Queensland Review , December vol. 19 no. 2 2012; (p. 173-177)
Encounters with Trees : A Life with Leaves in the Brisbane Suburbs Patrick Buckridge , 2012 single work criticism
— Appears in: Queensland Review , December vol. 19 no. 2 2012; (p. 173-177)
Last amended 25 Jul 2019 14:31:55
65-79 Literary Imaginings of the Bunyasmall AustLit logo Queensland Review
Subjects:
  • Queensland,
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