Monday, April 17, 2006

Weeds


Weeds Above the Wilddog Valley.

The Native American Indians used to call Plantain , Englishmans Foot, as it seemed to mark every footprint made by the newcomers. I have long thought about the connection between the plants that have been transplanted to Australia and become weeds and the colonists themselves. Weeds are just plants in the wrong place and I am sure that a lot of the early settlers felt exactly the same way.
There is a long tradition in Australia in the Arts in depicting the bush as something alien and threatening. Even the name" The Bush" objectifies, distances and does not connect with the country itself.
I spent a lot of years wandering in other places looking for my own ancestral background and enjoying being a foreigner. But after 10 years ( I am a slow learner) I started dreaming every night of Australian country. After 6 months of this I packed my bags and finally went home.
I realised that I was part weed, and part, part of this continent. And the greater part of me belonged here.

Blackberries and other weeds, close up.

1 comment:

Phaedra Press said...

looks abit like my place. i often feel like a weed, then i find other weeds to play with!