Ochre matters down under

‘Jingiwala’ means hello and welcome in the language which is spoken by the Bundjalung aboriginal tribe to which the guide, Mundine, also belongs. 
Cadman’s Cottage; tour guide James Mundine
Cadman’s Cottage; tour guide James Mundine

Jingiwala, says tour guide James Mundine to the enthusiastic group of visitors, who have gathered to learn about Australia’s aboriginal heritage as part of The Rocks Aboriginal Dreaming Tour in Sydney. ‘Jingiwala’ means hello and welcome in the language which is spoken by the Bundjalung aboriginal tribe to which the guide, Mundine, also belongs. 

The heritage walk spreads over English settlements in The Rocks, and covers the iconic Harbour Bridge and Opera House in Sydney. It explains how the aboriginal society is integrated into the cosmopolitan culture of the city.  

Aboriginal boomerangs
Aboriginal boomerangs

The first stop is Cadman’s Cottage,  which was constructed in 1816 and is one of the oldest buildings in the city, along the harbour. Travellers learn about Mother Earth and Father Sky who the Bundjalung worship. Under the shade of a fig tree, the group witnesses a traditional welcome ceremony where a paste made from white ochre—naturally made from sand, clay and ferric oxide—is mixed with water and applied on everybody’s hand in lines. The custom signifies an act of acknowledgement of Mother Earth. 

For men, ochre is applied on the right hand while for women, it’s the left. White is considered sacred, while yellow and red ochre are used for decorations. 

James goes on to explain the importance of both plants and animals in the aboriginal culture. From here, the walking tour progresses, across George Street and into the laneways of The Rocks. The group is introduced to boomerangs—both returning and hunting ones—which are made out of fig wood. The returning boomerangs are light and sometimes decorated with kangaroo shapes. The hunting ones are large, heavy and plain. As the group walks ahead, they stop at a lemon-scented teatree known as Leptospermum petersonii. 

Its leaves are used for medicinal purposes today. But the aboriginals used it to mask their scent while hunting. The leaves were crushed between the palms and applied all over, the branches were broken off and tied to the person. Ochre was also used to further camouflage the hunter’s appearance.  

The tour progresses to Argyle Stairs and down to Dawes Point, underneath Harbour Bridge, before returning along the foreshore back to Cadmans Cottage. There are several stops along the way as Mundine points out plants, buildings and other items of interest.

Under the bridge at Argyl Street, Mundine rubs his fingers along the wall in a specific spot to feel grainy white and yellow ochre. 

At The Rocks Discovery Museum, the group learns how the aboriginal Cadigal women caught fish from canoes while the men used spears to fish from rock platforms. They practiced body art and decorated their tools and weapons with human forms, animals and footprints.  

At night, Argyle Cut in The Rocks gets a different artistic hue with illuminated animation curated by Academy Award winning Pixar Animation Studios blending the past and the present of the multi- faceted city of Sydney.  

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