Urban farms and rooftop gardens are definitely a trend we have highlighted many times before, but this one is slightly different.

For many Indigenous Australians nature provides connection to Country and it allows the making of traditional medicines and foods, something that is evident for many Indigenous cultures in more remote areas of Australia.

Inner Sydney is home to the Gadigal people and for the Gadigal people many elements of their Indigenous culture have managed to survive, unfortunately in a developed city like Sydney native plants used to make bush foods and medicines are not in an abundance. However, one project could soon change this.

The project is in Eveleigh, just outside of the Sydney CBD and is an area that has a strong Aboriginal community as well as a large industrial past.

The project is being led by Clarence Slockee and Christian Hampson through Yerrabingin, an Indigenous start-up and is a 500 square metre garden on the rooftop of a developer’s office.

Over 30 different types of bush foods can be produced from the 2000 natives planted. Unfortunately, due to the need for these plants to be suitable for the conditions they will face four stories in the sky not all natives used were native to Sydney, however it is still hoped it will highlight the many uses for natives with local chefs encouraged to use the produce and the garden also being open to the general public.

With the rise of many rooftop gardens and urban farms in Australia hopefully we will see more that incorporate Indigenous elements!

Press release here

Images courtesy of the Guardian