Hard Yacca

Xanthorrhoea (or the grass tree) is a genus of about 30 flowering plants which are endemic to Australia.

These plants are incredibly well adapted to the Australian landscape, they survive well in dry areas and are able to regenerate and thrive after being subject to bushfires. They’re often the first shades of green to appear in a charred landscape.

Bundjalung, Githabul, Yaegl and Gumbaynggirr people were known to have eaten the edible roots and the flower stem, which is full of sweet nectar, was combined with water to make a sweet drink.

They could also be used to create a range of tools including a drill to create fire by friction, a lightweight spear and the resin contained in the trunk was highly useful for a number of purposes including glue.

We also found out that the term ‘Hard Yakka’ originates from this plant!

In some Nunga groups in South Australia the plant was known as ‘yacca’. Early Europeans probably observed First Nations groups and recognised the usefulness of the resin contained in the trunk. As was often the case with colonial methods, the extraction was unsustainable as it resulted in destruction of the plant and eventual removal from certain ecosystems across the country. The strenuous work involved in harvesting through inefficient methods meant that early whitefellas coined the term ‘Hard Yakka’.