Living along the coast (detail)
Spear fishing
|
Phyllis's story: My father was a fisherman at Wreck Bay. He used to spear fish but he also used to spear kangaroo. He was a good provider. |
 Older Koori men still know how to make a spear
in the traditional way although very few still use them. Fishing spears made from the stem of the Grass Tree and Brush Kurrajong dry out very light and float on the water making them easy to retrieve.
We used to make heaps of spears here when we were young. We used to make them using hickory - strip the bark off and while its green and bind them up tight - when it dries it shrinks and holds it real tight. Ossie Cruse Right: Steve Russell used to make three-pronged fishing spears from the Grass Tree. Now he makes them at the culture centre to teach in workshops and to sell. Photo: Daphne Nash |
