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Full Citation Details:

Cane, S. Stockton, J. & Vallance, A. 1979. A note on the diet of the

Tasmanian Aborigines. 'Australian Archaeology', no.9, 77-81.

A N O T E ON T H E D I E T OF T H E T A S M A N I A N A B O R I G I N E S

S c o t t Cane,

Jirn

Stockton and Amanda VaZZance

T h e Tasmanian A b o r i g i n a l d i e t was drawn from m a r i n e and non-marine e n v i r o n m e n t s , i n which food r e s o u r c e s v a r i e d a c c o r d i n g t o h a b i t a t . A l p i n e and r a i n f o r e s t e n v i r o n m e n t s p r o v i d e d a

l i m i t e d s u p p l y o f p l a n t f o o d , w h e r e a s t h e wet and d r y s c h l e r o p h y l l f o r e s t s p r o v i d e d a n a b u n d a n t s u p p l y o f p l a n t and a n i m a l f o o d s . The c o a s t a l z o n e s , d e s p i t e a d e c e p t i v e l y b a r r e n a p p e a r a n c e , s u p p l i e d a c o n s i s t e n t l y r i c h p l a n t and m a r s u p i a l food r e s o u r c e t h a t was s u p p l e m e n t e d b y l a r g e s h e l l f i s h g r o u n d s and a s e a s o n a l a b u n d a n c e o f b i r d s and c e r t a i n mammals.

T h e r e w e r e many k i n d s of p l a n t s e a t e n by t h e Tasmanian A b o r i g i n e s . However, many of t h e s e were e i t h e r s e a s o n a l , a s i n t h e c a s e o f p l a n t s e e d s a n d f r u i t s , r e s t r i c t e d i n t h e i r l o c a t i o n , a s f o r e x a m p l e i n s p e c i a l i s e d a l p i n e c o m m u n i t i e s , o r s p a r s e l y r e p r e s e n t e d a s i n t h e c a s e o f t h e o r c h i d f a m i l y . E t h n o g r a p h i c r e c o r d s s u g g e s t t h a t t h e s e k i n d s o f p l a n t s w e r e a s e c o n d a r y f o o d r e s o u r c e . On t h e o t h e r hand t h e r e a r e many e n v i r o n m e n t s which s u p p o r t a n a b u n d a n t l y d i v e r s e r a n g e o f p l a n t f o o d s . T h e r e a r e s p e c i e s , as i n t h e c a s e o f t h e man f e r n

Dicksonia m t a r c t i c a ,

w h i c h a l t h o u g h l o c a l i s e d a r e p r e s e n t e d i n l a r g e numbers, and t h e r e a r e p l a n t s p e c i e s s u c h a s t h e b r a c k e n f e r n

Pteridiwn esculenturn

w h i c h a r e c o n s i s t e n t l y w e l l r e p r e s e n t e d t h r o u g h o u t t h e i s l a n d . I n s u c h c a s e s t h e b o t a n i c a l s i g n i f i c a n c e o f t h e s p e c i e s and t h e i r r e g u l a r o c c u r r e n c e w i t h i n o u r e t h n o g r a p h i c r e c o r d s s u g g e s t s t h e s e k i n d s of p l a n t s w e r e a p r i m a r y f o o d r e s o u r c e f o r t h e Tasmanian A b o r i g i n e s . A l i s t o f t h e v e g e t a b l e f o o d s e a t e n b y t h e Tasmanian A b o r i g i n e s i s t a b l e d below.

L i s t

1:

L i s t o f foods t h o u g h t t o comprise t h e Tasmanian A b o r i g i n a l d i e t

P r i m a r y f o o d r e s o u r c e R e f e r e n c e s

B e r i d i m esculentwn

( B r a c k e n f e r n )

Xanthorrhea a u s t r a l i s

( G r a s s t r e e )

Dicksonia antarctica

(Manfern)

Cyathea a u s t r a l i s

(Rough t r e e f e r n )

Carpobrotus r o s s i i

( P i g f a c e )

Triglochin procera

(Arrow g r a s s )

a s t r o d i a sesamoides

( N a t i v e p o t a t o

o r c h i d )

Orchidacea

f a m i l y i n g e n e r a l

M j l i t t a a u s t r a l i s

( B l a c k m a n ' s b r e a d )

Fucus palmatus

( S e a w r a c k )

DurviZZea p o t a t o m

H i a t t , M o l l i s o n , J o n e s H i a t t , M o l l i s o n , J o n e s H i a t t , M o l l i s o n , J o n e s H i a t t

H i a t t , M o l l i s o n , J o n e s J o n e s

H i a t t , J o n e s

H i a t t , M o l l i s o n , J o n e s H i a t t , M o l l i s o n

J o n e s

H i a t t , M o l l i s o n

Secondary food r e s o u r c e s ( a ) F r u i t s

R e f e r e n c e s

Bi ZZardiera Zong-iflora

(Climbing b l u e b e r r y )

Rubus p a d fozius

( N a t i v e r a s p b e r r y )

Coprosma hirteZZa

(Coffee b e r r y )

Coprosma

q&

fida

( N a t i v e c u r r a n t )

Astro Zoma hwni f u s m

(Native c r a n b e r r y )

Sambucus gaudichaudianu

( N a t i v e e l d e r )

GauZtheria hispida

(Snow b e r r y )

Cyathodes juniperina

So~anwn zaciniatwn

(Kangaroo a p p l e )

Persoonia juniperinu

( P r i c k l y geebung)

Leucopogon

spp.

Leptomeria dmcpacea

Carpobrotus r o s s i i

( P i g f ace f r u i t )

Cenurrhenes n i t i d a

(Native plum)

Rhagodia baccata

( C o a s t a l s a l tbush)

Acacia sophorae

(Wattle)

Acacia s t r i c t a

(Wattle) Acaciu

botrpephcrh

( W a t t l e )

Acacia meZanoqZon

(Wattle)

Casuarinu

spp

.

(Shea-oak)

(b) Gums

EucaZyptus viminuZis

(Manna gum)

-Fucalyp?as

prlvl?:?: (Cider gum)

Acacia rnelanoxgzon

(Blackwood)

( c ) Roots

Daums gzochidiatus

Geranium soZanderi

( N a t i v e geranium)

( d ) Leaves

mimys ZanceoZata

(Mountain pepper)

OxaZis cornicuZata

(Wood o r c l o v e r s o r r e l )

AtripZex b i l l a r d i e r i

( S a l t bush)

Tetragonia impZexhoma

(New Zealand s p i n a c h )

Sonchus megazocarpus

Cardamine heterphylza

( C r e s s )

Cardamine intermedia

CaZandrinia calyptrata

Lomandra Zongifolia

(Mat r u s h )

Rhagodia baccata

( C o a s t a l s a l t b u s h )

( e ) Flowers

CaZytrix tetragonu

Banksia marginuta

(Honeysuckle)

J o n e s J o n e s J o n e s

M o l l i s o n , C u r t i s J o n e s

J o n e s M o l l i s o n J o n e s

H i a t t , M o l l i s o n , J o n e s J o n e s

J o n e s J o n e s

H i a t t , M o l l i s o n , J o n e s J o n e s , C u r t i s

V a l l a n c e H i a t t , J o n e s J o n e s

J o n e s J o n e s M o l l i s o n

J o n e s M o l l i s o n J o n e s

J o n e s

H i a t t , J o n e s

Robinson J o n e s J o n e s J o n e s J o n e s J o n e s J o n e s J o n e s V a l l a n c e

J o n e s J o n e s

I n t h e p a s t some p r e h i s t o r i a n s b e l i e v e d t h e Tasmanian

A b o r i g i n e s s u f f e r e d from a c a r b o h y d r a t e imbalance ( N o e t l i n g 1 9 1 0 ) . To t e s t t h i s , p o r t i o n s o f commonly a v a i l a b l e p l a n t s were s e n t t o t h e Tasmanian Government A n a l y s i s Department f o r c a r b o h y d r a t e a n a l y s i s . Although t h e f u l l r e s u l t s o f t h i s a n a l y s i s a r e shown i n T a b l e 1 we a r e p r i m a r i l y i n t e r e s t e d i n t h e c a r b o h y d r a t e c o n t e n t o f e a c h s p e c i e s . The e n e r g y v a l u e of t h e s e s p e c i e s i s documented i n c a l o r i f i c t e r m s and t h a t one c a l o r i e i s t h e amount o f e n e r g y r e q u i r e d t o h e a t one c u b i c c e n t i m e t r e o f w a t e r . There a r e 1000 o f t h e s e c a l o r i e s i n a k i l o c a l o r i e .

The r e s u l t s g i v e n i n Table 1 may be compared w i t h t h o s e f o r f i v e s t a p l e v e g e t a b l e f o o d s a v a i l a b l e t o w e s t e r n man. These a r e shown i n T a b l e 2. We f i n d t h a t t h e Tasmanian g r a s s t r e e (41.3%) h o l d s less c a r b o h y d r a t e t h a n bread (49.9%) whereas t h e b r a c k e n

f e r n c o n t a i n s more ( 2 2 . 7 % ) c a r b o h y d r a t e t h a n p o t a t o e s ( 1 9 . 1 % ) . L i k e w i s e t h e Tasmanian man f e r n ( 1 2 . 3 % ) , c o a s t a l s a l t bush (10.3%) and p i g f a c e ( 4 . 6 % ) c o n t a i n a h i g h e r p e r c e n t a g e of c a r b o h y d r a t e t h a n c a r r o t s ( 8 . 6 % )

,

pumpkin (7.1%) and s p i n a c h (3.7%)

.

For t h e t o t a l c a r b o h y d r a t e c o n t r i b u t i o n of t h e s e w e s t e r n f o o d s w e f i n d t h a t f o r t h e f i v e s p e c i e s

-

o r 500 grams t e s t e d , t h e r e i s a t o t a l o f 88.4 grams o f c a r b o h y d r a t e whereas f o r t h e same g r o s s gram w e i g h t i n t h e n a t i v e foods t e s t e d t h e r e were 91.2 grams of c a r b o h y d r a t e .

From t h e s e r e s u l t s i t seems t h a t i n d i v i d u a l p l a n t s p e c i e s a v a i l a b l e t o t h e A b o r i g i n e s were a s w e l l s t o c k e d w i t h c a r b o h y d r a t e a s t h e v e g e t a b l e f o o d s a v a i l a b l e i n t h e w e s t e r n d i e t . T h i s f a c t , c o u p l e d w i t h t h e e x t e n s i v e d i s t r i b u t i o n of e a c h s p e c i e s t e s t e d would s u p p o r t a c o n c l u s i o n t h a t t h e f l o r a l component of t h e Tasmanian e n v i r o n m e n t was n o t d e f i c i e n t i n c a r b o h y d r a t e and hence t h e d i e t o f t h e Tasmanian A b o r i g i n e s d i d n o t s u f f e r from a

c a r b o h y d r a t e i m b a l a n c e .

Dept o f Prehistory

&

AnthropoZogy School o f General Studies

ANU,

Canberra Dept o f Prehistory

Research SchoZ o f Pacific

Studies

ANU,

Canberra

Department of Education

Hobart, Tasmania

Table 1: Composition of foods per 100 grams edible portion Specimen Part Common name eaten Carbo- Kilo- Fat hydrate calories 9 9 9 Kcal Dicksmia antarctica

Man

fern

Core

1.6 0.6 12.3 6

1

Pteridiwn escuZentwn

Bracken fern Root

1.3 0.4 22.7 99.6 Xunthorrhea austrazis Grass

t

ree Core 3.5 0.3 41.3 181.5 Carpubrotus rossii

Pigf ace Leaves

0.8 0.3 4.6 24.5 Rhagodia baccata Coastal

Leaves

3.2 0.4 10.3 57.4 sal tbush Table 2: Composition of foods per 100 grams edible portion Foods Potato Bread (white) Pumpkin Spinach Carrots

Part Carbo- Kilo- eaten Fat hydrate calories 9 9 9 Kca l Roo

t

2

.O

0.1 19.1 8

0

7.8 1.5 49.9 243 Fruit 1.0 0.2 7

.l

3

1 Leaves

2.5 0.3 3.7 2 3 Roo

t

0.9 0.2 8.6 36

References

C u r t i s , W . 1963

The S t u d e n t ' s FZora o f Tasmania.

Vol.1, 2 , 3 . Tasmanian Government P r i n t e r

H i a t t , B . 1967 The food q u e s t and t h e economy of t h e Tasmanian A b o r i g i n e s .

Oceania

38(2):99-133

J o n e s , R . 1 9 7 1 Rocky Cape and t h e problem o f t h e Tasmanians.

Phd t h e s i s , Sydney U n i v e r s i t y

M o l l i s o n , B . 1974 A

Synopsis o f Data and the Tasmanian Aboriginal People.

Ch.7

N o e t l i n g , F. 1910 The food of t h e Tasmanian A b o r i g i n e s .

Papers and Proceedings o f t h e Royal Society o f Tasmania.

_{p p .}

279-305

Plomley

,

N . J .B. 1966

Friendly Mission.

Tasmanian H i s t o r i c a l R e s e a r c h A s s o c i a t i o n

V a l l a n c e , A.A. 1976 A s t u d y of t h e d i e t o f t h e Tasmanian A b o r i g i n a l s . U n p u b l i s h e d r e s e a r c h r e p o r t . TCAE