Boab Nut

• Boab nuts come from the Boab tree. In The Kimberly region of Western Australia, the Aboriginal Peoples there have been carving Boab nuts as gift and exchange items for centuries.
• Boab nuts have to be collected between April and May as the shell begins to dry and harden. They are then rubbed in the sand to remove the outer layer of fur and scraped with a sharp tool unique to the artist.
• The snake depicted here is likely a Bandy Bandy. These breeds are usually found above ground at night or after rain.
• The bird depicted here is likely a Brolga, a type of water bird. The Aboriginal Dreamtime story tells us that Brolga used to be a girl who loved to dance, but she was captured by an evil spirit, Waiwera, who turned her into a bird. The bird still makes dancing movements to remind the Aboriginal peoples she was once a girl.

Seeing the Brolga and Bandy Bandy depicted together in a carving could be telling us a story about the wet season in Kimberly!

This short video will give you an overview of traditional boab nut carving.

Here is an image of a boab tree in Australia. Boab trees are enormous. They are used by Australian Aboriginal peoples for shelter, food and medicine. They can take many hundreds if not thousands of years to grow.

History

• Significant events and / or individuals from the past
• Comparing aspects of life in different periods

Geography

• Basic geographical vocabulary
• Weather patterns
• Observational skills to study human and physical geography

Science

• Plants
• Living things and their habitats
• Everyday materials and their properties
• Animals including humans

Seasonal changes including global warming and climate change

Investigate more about animals who inhabit the Kimberley region of Western Australia, and discover some stories

Create an Aboriginal inspired tale using the information collected about the animals investigated. Why not share the stories using an Australian Aboriginal tradition of storytelling?

Museum name: The Dorman museum / Captain Cook Birthplace Museum
Contact name: Chloe Leeson
Phone number: 01642 728235
Email: chloe_leeson@middlesbrough.gov.uk

Please contact Chloe to arrange for collection of this object

• Boab nuts come from the Boab tree. In The Kimberly region of Western Australia, the Aboriginal Peoples there have been carving Boab nuts as gift and exchange items for centuries.
• Boab nuts have to be collected between April and May as the shell begins to dry and harden. They are then rubbed in the sand to remove the outer layer of fur and scraped with a sharp tool unique to the artist.
• The snake depicted here is likely a Bandy Bandy. These breeds are usually found above ground at night or after rain.
• The bird depicted here is likely a Brolga, a type of water bird. The Aboriginal Dreamtime story tells us that Brolga used to be a girl who loved to dance, but she was captured by an evil spirit, Waiwera, who turned her into a bird. The bird still makes dancing movements to remind the Aboriginal peoples she was once a girl.

Seeing the Brolga and Bandy Bandy depicted together in a carving could be telling us a story about the wet season in Kimberly!

This short video will give you an overview of traditional boab nut carving.

Here is an image of a boab tree in Australia. Boab trees are enormous. They are used by Australian Aboriginal peoples for shelter, food and medicine. They can take many hundreds if not thousands of years to grow.

• World cultures
• Australia
• Art

• Create boab nuts using paper mache and balloons.
• Investigate more about the animals from the Kimberley region of Western Australia.
• Discover more about the Australian Aboriginal tradition of storytelling
• Create your own Australian Aboriginal inspired story and include some of the animals
• Decorate a boab around a story you have created.