Ngarn Wa’ngal: Art of the gum tree
13 July 2026
I wrote a short text, The Deep Roots of Displacement for Ngarn Wa’ngal: Art of the Gum Tree, Edited by Alisa Bunbury and Sophie Gerhard.
https://www.mup.com.au/books/ngarn-wa-ngal/9780522882520
Charting the evolving significance of eucalypts in art, culture and ecology
Ngarn Wa’ngal: Art of the Gum Tree is a landmark publication dedicated to the eucalypt and the art it inspires. It traces the gum tree through art history and contemporary practice, engaging with Indigenous sovereignty, Australian identity, nationalism, climate change, land management and the tree’s global impact.
Richly illustrated, the book features a range of contributors, from artists, Aboriginal Elders and art historians to ecologists, poets and writers who share their responses to this iconic Australian symbol, charting the gum tree’s ever-evolving significance in art, culture, the environment and wider society.
The title Ngarn Wa’ngal translates as ‘breathing for us’ in Woi Wurrung language.