StoryTelling
Why did we call Xanthorrhoea “Black Boys” in Australia?
There’s a very long standing story and it’s not what you might think.
Xanthorrhoea spines are a familiar sight in Australia and their plant still occasionally get called “black boys”. Especially by older Australians, as well as “grass trees” or “Balga”. In fact, they were so prolific one Perth suburb was named Balga
Now before you jump all over me, and say that’s racist and other nasty things, let me explain how that name came about.
Because it’s actually quite complimentary!
When I was much younger, my Dad’s Mum, Nana (Ivy) Nancarrow, told me the original reason is to acknowledge the habit of the aboriginals themselves.
They have the habit of standing motionless on one leg for hours, and that is why the grass tree, or Balga, (now formally called “Xanthorrhoea”) has the name “black boy”.
Why did the aboriginals do that?
The bush in the south west is very thick with lots of grass trees interspersed between tree trunks blackened from bush fires.
When the hunters stood like that, in the bush, they were very difficult to detect. It was a perfect hunting strategy in the South West, where grass trees were prolific, for spearing kangaroos.
So, you see, it wasn’t the other way around! What a surprise!!
Personally, I think it was probably easier to spell!
Of course, that hunting strategy wasn’t restricted only to the South West of Western Australia. The single leg stance of Australia’s indigenous people is legendary and many original illustrations show that. It was a fact commented upon by many early explorers to Australia.
The Xanthorrhoea is a beautiful plant, very slow growing, and is found all over Australia. Click this link and learn more about them, from Bush Heritage. Bush Heritage works to help save them from over clearing
My Nana may not have been correct, I must admit.
There are different theories on why Australia’s indigenous people stand on one leg, and indeed why people around the world in some local cultures take a similar stance.
The Maasai in Africa are famous for it, as are the sheep herders of the Sudan.
One theory is that depending on which leg is bent, you can disclose your marital status or otherwise, and thus make it easy for the observer to decide if the walk is worth the effort. I suspect this is a story my own Mum told me once, and I haven’t actually checked it out yet.
Grass trees in flower are an important food source for native insects in Australia and were important for indigenous peoples as well.
There are bees, flies and beetles feasting on the nectar in this grasstree spike. The flowers are tiny and have a very sweet perfume.
When they have been pollinated, they dry out and the spikes can remain on the grass tree for several years. The tiny seeds can be collected when they are ripe. Indigenous people used them to grind flour and cook it as a damper. The spikes were used for spears, and for digging.
The plants grow very slowly (some a little quicker than others) and this particular grass tree (blackboy or Xanthorrhoea) may very well be three or four HUNDRED years old.
Anyone wanting to sell or share their blackboy seeds has to provide details of where they go, because there are severe restrictions on distributing them or transplanting the plants themselves.
Indigenous people used them for food, making spears for hunting, and weaving. There’s excellent information here.
Here’s a little trivia for you — about the Australian clothing line called Hard Yakka.
“yakka” is an Aboriginal word from South Australia for the gum (resin) that is found in a native plant we used to call “blackboys.” These days, they are called “grass trees”. (Xanthorroea)
It was very hard work extracting the gum, and it gave rise to the expression “hard yakka.” It was so popular it led to the naming of men’s work clothes as “Hard Yakka”.
The resin is used as a glue, as a waterproof and, in the days of the early colonies was used to help caulk sailing ships. During WWII, many parcels and packages sent overseas to the troops were coated with the resin to help keep them waterproof.
In my childhood, we used the resin contained within the trunks of dead, collapsed grass trees to fuel our chip heater in the bathroom — when a storage hot water system such as we take for granted these days was just a dream.
