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Troy Gordon Tjippurula

116-26 Jumulu or Jamarlu - Kimberley Boab Tree. 45x70cm acrylic on canvas

116-26 Jumulu or Jamarlu - Kimberley Boab Tree. 45x70cm acrylic on canvas

$590.00
$590.00
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For thousands of years, the Boab Tree has been deeply important within the cultural and practical lives of Aboriginal people in the Kimberley.

In Gija language it is known as Jumulu, and in Jaru it is Jamarlu.

Both groups have long relied on Boabs as a vital resource, using their fibrous trunks to source water, their seeds and leaves for food, and their bark for medicinal purposes.

Some ancient Boabs also served as natural shelters, their hollow trunks providing refuge from the elements.

Beyond practical uses, these trees also hold spiritual and cultural significance, featuring prominently in Dreamtime stories, art, songlines and lore. 

When European settlers arrived, boabs became landmarks and meeting points across the vast Kimberley landscape. One of the most famous examples is the Boab Prison Tree near Derby. Believed to be over 1,500 years old, this hollowed-out giant was reportedly used as a temporary holding cell for Indigenous prisoners during the colonial era.

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