Gardening Australia featured Richard McDowell, aka Captain Quandong, a propagator, grower, and collector of Western Australian native flora.
He credits his wife of nearly 30 years Ballardong woman, Lola for his knowledge of bush foods. Shortly after getting married, they would often find themselves in search of plants in the Western Australian wheatfields. When their daughters Esther and Emily-Jane were younger the family would go four-wheel drive exploring on Lola’s Country, further strengthening Richard’s appreciation of the unique and diverse Western Australian flora, especially the “quintessentially Aussie bush tucker species” the quandong.
Richard’s daughter Esther, also known as Yabini Kickett, is an artist who uses the plants in her art with much of her recent work in the last two years exploring the importance of place and endemic species. She explores the theme of being homesick on your own country as a homage to her mother’s Country.
