Traditional Bush Damper

For thousands of years, Aboriginal people across the Gascoyne made nourishing bread cakes from native grass and shrub seeds. The seeds were carefully collected, cleaned and ground into flour before being mixed with water and cooked in the hot ashes of a campfire.

Ingredients

• Approximately 1 kg of native grass or kurara seeds
• A small amount of clean water

Method

1. Gather ripe seeds from native grasses or shrubs.
2. Allow the seed heads to dry, then beat or rub them to release the seeds.
3. Winnow the seeds to remove the husks.
4. Grind the seeds into a fine flour using grinding stones.
5. Add a little water to make a firm dough.
6. Shape the dough into flat bread cakes.
7. Bake the cakes in the hot ashes of a fire until cooked through.

The bread was often eaten fresh or served alongside roasted meat, fish or other bush foods gathered from Country. Making bush bread was an important communal activity, with women traditionally responsible for collecting, cleaning and grinding the seeds.  

Cultural note: Traditional recipes varied across the Gascoyne. The plants used depended on the local Country and season, so there is no single “authentic” recipe. The method shown here reflects the traditional process described by Elders and interpreters at Gwoonwardu Mia rather than a standardised recipe.