Snapshots: Olive Pink Botanic GardenAboriginal Tradition Crimson Fox Tail Sturt Bean Tree / Bat’s Wing Coral Tree Wild Passionfruit
Olive Pink Botanic Garden
Aboriginal tradition, there was a creation period at the dawn of time when spirit beings inhabited a formless Earth. These beings often looked like plants and left a record of their activities in the hills, trees, rivers and so forth that they made along the way as they travelled. Aboriginal people regard these spirits as the ancestors of all forms of life, and believe that their power still exists in the landscape they created. As a result, Aboriginal people’s relationship with their land is a strong spiritual one, with deep religious meaning given to the places associated with the deeds of their spirit ancestors.
All landforms in and around Alice Springs were created by spirit ancestors, with most being the work of three groups of caterpillars. One group, the Utnerrengatye, travelled in from near Mt Zeil and met up with two local groups, the Ntyarlke and Yeperenye, in the present township area. The features created during their adventures here are if great significance to the local Arrernte people, who consider themselves direct descendants of these caterpillar ancestors.
Within the botanic garden is Tharrarletneme (Meyer Hill). On the western side of the hill is an area that is the head of Ntyarlke caterpillar, facing west across the river as he travels about feeding. The sacred objects associated with this ancestor’s law were once stored in a small cave nearby.
Passing through Alice Springs is Lhere Mparntwe (Todd River). Many of the Gum trees in the river are caterpillar ancestors who became lost on the way through to Anthwerrke (Emily Gap). Most large trees have great spiritual significance and are individually named.
In Alice Springs there is Akeyulerre (Billygoat Hill), the two women ancestors who passed through here while travelling from Port Augusta in South Australia to the north coast. Paintings of these women can be seen in Kakadu National Park. In Aboriginal tradition there was a creation period at the dawn of time when spirit beings inhabited a formless earth.
Source: Olive Pink Botanic Garden signage – The assistance given by the Arrernte people of Alice Springs
and the Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority in the preparation of this sign is gratefully acknowledged.
Snapshots: Olive Pink Botanic GardenAboriginal Tradition Crimson Fox Tail Sturt Bean Tree / Bat’s Wing Coral Tree Wild Passionfruit
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