Scientific Name: Araucaria Cunninghamii
Common Name: Hoop Pine
Durundur Station Name: Gunam (Leichhardt, 1844)
Turrbal Name: Kum’barchu (Petrie, 1904)
Kabi Kabi Name: Kun’yam (Watson, 1844) / Coonam (Z. Skying, 1870)
Dungidau Name: Gum is called Nalbo (Winterbotham)
Indigenous Use
The sap was warmed up with the fingers and used as glue to fasten axe heads to handles ect.
Colonial Use
Important softwood timber used for cabinet work, floorings, mouldings and linings, panelling in railway carriages, boat building, match manufacture, plywood, and wood butter boxes.
When to Use
The sap is available for use all year.
Identification
Leaves: The leaves of Araucaria cunninghamii are dark green, narrow, and lance-shaped, typically 1-2.5 cm long. They are arranged spirally around the branches and have a sharp, pointed tip. The leaves are tough and leathery in texture (Atlas of Living Australia, 2023; Australian National Botanic Gardens, 2024).
Bark: The bark is grey to brown and peels off in thin strips. It has a rough, scaly texture and is often marked with horizontal bands, making it easily recognizable (Australian National Botanic Gardens, 2024).
Cones: The female cones are large, spherical, and can weigh up to 10 kg. They contain numerous edible seeds known as bunya nuts. (Atlas of Living Australia, 2023).
Seeds: The seeds are small, winged, and dispersed by wind. They are found inside the mature cones and are an important food source for various wildlife species (Atlas of Living Australia, 2023).
Ecosystems
Found in the below ecosystem/s.
Rainforests: Sub-tropical rainforests usually consist of three strata of trees with up to 60 species making up the canopy, many with large leaves. Palms and strangler figs are common and the undergrowth Is luxuriant with mayn epiphytic or terrestrial ferns and orchids and abundant large climbers of many species. In Queensland, rainforests can be found in well-known locations like the Daintree Rainforest, Lamington National Park, and Mary Caincross Park.
References
Atlas of Living Australia (ALA), 2023. Araucaria cunninghamii (Hoop Pine). [online] Available at: https://bie.ala.org.au/species/https://id.biodiversity.org.au/node/apni/2911706 [Accessed 8 June 2024].
Australian National Botanic Gardens (ANBG), 2024. Araucaria cunninghamii (Hoop Pine). [online] Available at: https://www.anbg.gov.au/gnp/gnp12/araucaria-cunninghamii.html [Accessed 8 June 2024].
Leiper, Glen, Muteroo: Plant use by Australian Aboriginal People. Eagleby South State School, Brisbane
Leiper, G., Glazebrook, J., Cox, D., & Rathie, K., 2008. Mountain to Mangroves: A Field Guide to the Native Plants of South-east Queensland. Logan River Branch, Society for Growing Australian Plants.
Skyring, Z., Zachariah Skyring’s Kabi Dictionary (Local Aboriginal Language) 1870 Unpublished Original from Gympie Library Local History Collection.
Watson, F.J., Vocabularies of Four Representative Tribes of South Eastern Queensland. Supplement to the Journal of the Royal Geographical Society of Australasia. (Queensland), No 34 Vol XLVIII Brisbane
Petrie, Constance, Tom Petrie’s Reminiscences of Early Queensland. Angus and Robertson, 1975, (facsmile of 1904 edition)
Leichhardt, L. (2011). Journal of an Overland Expedition in Australia, from Moreton Bay to Port Essington: A Distance of Upwards of 3000 Miles, during the Years 1844–1845. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.