Collected 1770: Cape Grafton

Observed 2002–2005: Durack

The artist has captured the profusely flowering and leafy form, also including the smooth egg shaped fruit, and bathing all in a warm golden glow that lends the work a magical quality. The artist has fond childhood memories of turning the flowers into ‘fairy skirts’ for her dolls.

The tree flowers quite prolifically, but nocturnally. The flowers open in the early evening, and by morning many of them have fallen to form a colourful carpet. The leaves develop autumn colours before they fall.

The fruit has a fibrous, cheesy flesh, and is an important Indigenous food. Many of the plant parts are used in traditional medicine due to antibacterial properties. It is also the source of an effective fish poison. The inner portion of the trunk bark is used to make a strong twine and boomerangs are made from the wood. As the common name cocky apple suggests, the fruit is eaten by cockatoos.