walert (Ringtail possum)
The walert (Ringtail possum) was a source for both food and clothing for the Wurundjeri Woi wurrung people. The possum’s flesh was cooked and eaten, and its skin dried and sewn into cloaks and dilly bags. As soon as the skins were removed, they were carefully stretched out on a piece of bark, with the edges secured by small wooden pegs. When the hide was dry, its inner skin was scraped and cleaned with a sharpened mussel shell.
The sinews from the tail of the kangaroo were used as thread and a pointed kangaroo tooth served as an awl to make the holes for stitching the skins together. Cloaks were fastened at the shoulder and extended to the knees or mid-calf. Usually, the fur was worn next to the owner's body. The outside skin was adorned with totemic designs, incised by mussel shells. The possum skin cloaks were worn by Elders for all ceremonies.
Food plants of the grasslands
Many plants of the grasslands have traditional uses as food and medicine. Here are some:
Chocolate Lily
The purpleflowers of this native lily have a distinct chocolate smell. The tubers at the base are edible after roasting.
Murnong (Yam Daisy)
Murnong flowers look a lot like the flowers of the common yellow dandelion. Just like the dandelion, it exudes a milky white sap when any part of it is cut. The tubers can be eaten raw but were most often cooked in baskets. When raw they are crisp and bland but when roasted they produce a sweet nutty flavour.
Kangaroo Grass
Kangaroo grass seeds can be made into a porridge or ground to make flour for bread. Kangaroo Grass was skilfully cultivated, harvested and stored and once formed a large part of the landscape of the low-lying plains of Victoria.