The Bunya tree (Araucaria bidwillii) is deeply significant to the Kabi Kabi and other First Nations peoples of southeast Queensland, both spiritually and culturally. As a sacred (and highly nutritious) food source, bunya nuts can be roasted, ground into flour, or eaten raw. The seasonal bunya harvests every 2-3 years was a time of great abundance.
The ripening of the bunya cones marked the time for huge, intertribal Bunya Gatherings, where groups from across southeast Queensland would travel to the Blackall Ranges and Bunya Mountains. There would be feasting, trade, law-making, and of course, storytelling.
The bunya is seen as a gift from the Ancestors, and caring for the bunya groves was a cultural responsibility. Stories, songs, and law are tied to the tree and its cycles, embedding it into spiritual identity.
After colonialisation, bunya gatherings were actively suppressed. In 1842, the colonial government made it illegal to cut down bunya trees or occupy bunya land, recognising its importance to Aboriginal culture. Unfortunately, this law was overturned in 1860, and many trees were cleared for logging and farming.
Despite this, the cultural importance of the bunya groves has endured. Events like Bunya Dreaming, revived by Kabi Kabi Elder, Aunty Bev Hand, help to keep that heritage alive.
For the Kabi Kabi people, the bunya tree isn’t just a food source — it’s a cultural, spiritual, and social keystone that sustained law, ceremony, and connection between Nations for thousands of years.
The story of “Only Take What You Need”
Important lessons and cultural law are passed down through story. Because there were no written books of law, stories were the law. They taught people how to live sustainably, fairly, and with respect for the land.
When the bunya cones ripen, they are huge – sometimes as big as a football, heavy, and filled with dozens of nuts. Because they fall from great heights, they were considered a gift from above. Stories told by Elders highlight the importance of only taking what you need, sharing the harvest, and respecting the tree. These laws, told as stories, preserved the health of the trees and prevented any person or Nation from going hungry.
Aunty Bev explains this as a kind of “cultural law” told through story. These laws teach us about living in balance, taking only what we need from the environment, and leaving enough for others and for future generations. Aunty Bev says the bunya remains a teacher for reconciliation and sustainability today.