LE VAILLANT's PARROTS an Unnatural History?
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Spring 1991 Volume 23 Number 10 $7.95 IS AUSTRALIA OVERPOPULATED? CHARLES DARWIN In Tasmania IN SEARCH OF A SIMPLE SOUL TOP END DILEMMA Magpie Geese or Mangoes? X-RAYS THE INSIDE STORY LE VAILLANT'S PARROTS An Unnatural History? THE AUSTRAL I AN MUSEUM Get your hands on a bundle of great gifts! The new Australian Museum Mail Order Catalogue is filled with unusual gifts you just won't find anywhere else. For your free copy, ring, write or fax - today. Australian Museum Mail Order Catalogue australian Phone 3398339 Fax 3398313 6 College St, Sydney NSW 2000 museum Looking for an interesting and * unusual gift this Christmas? An ANH subscription is a gift that can be appreciated for many years to come. And don't forget that each gift subscription you send gives you another chance to win in our Whale-watching and Fraser Island competition with TraveLearn. Simply fill out the gift subscription form (below) and send it to us before December 13. 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ANH is a quarterly magazine, with issues released in January, April, July and October. •for each gift subscription sent, your name will be entered into our subscriber competition for a Traveleam trip for two Whale watching and Fraser Island. CREDIT CARD HOTLINE - RING (008) 028 558 OR FAX (02) 339 8313 OFFICIAL COMPETITION ENTRY FORM* (® SPECIAL CHRISTMAS OFFER ·----------------------------- .-------I ---------------J I I I rEND THIS CARD AND PAYMENT POSTAGE FREE TO: FREEPOST AAAtO AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM P.O. BOX A285 SYDNEY SOUTH N.S.W. 2000 AUSTRALIA ------------------------------�----------------------1I I I I I PENO THIS CARD AND PAYMENT POSTAGE FREE TO: FREEPOST AAA10 AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM P.O. BOX A285 SYDNEY SOUTH N.S.W. 2000 AUSTRALIA Spring 1991 Volume 23 Number 10 FOOD FOR THOUGHT Published by BY FIONA DOIG The Australian Museum Trust 6-8 College Street. MANAGING EDITOR Sydney. SW 2000 Phone: (02) 339 8lll Fax: (02) 339 8313 belongs. Research ensuring a law's fit Trust President: Robyn Williams T A RECENT UINNER PARTY. I Museum Director: Desmond Griffin discovered several guests thought ness would benefit the knowledge-and avocados were native to Australia. thus the survival--of many species. MANAGING EDITOR A When it comes to seafood and fish, Fiona Doig, B.A. Comm. Home grown maybe, but they are native SCIE TIFIC EDITOR to central America. In fact, the 'tra we readily consume local species. Georgina Hickey, B.Sc. ditional' Aussie meal presented con Unfortunately many, like the Murray EDITORIAL COORDINATOR sisted of roast lamb (sheep originate Cod, are threatened by introduced exotic Jennifer Saunders, B.Sc. from the Middle East), potatoes (from species. So developing our cuisine is CI RCULATIO MANAGER the Andes), peas (Eurasia) and pumpkin more than just about eating local foods. Cathy McGahey (Mexico and Guatemala). Careful management is vital. ART DIRECTION The macadamia nuts saved the even When it comes to food plants, our Watch This! Design ing. No token representative, either: track record is appalling. And pro TYPESE17'1NG they are our only large-scale commer duction isn't hindered by obscure laws. Character Typesetting cially farmed native food plant. Limited diversity of food plants is not a PRINTING We complain that Australia doesn't local problem, either. The vast bulk of Excel Printing Company, Hong Kong have a traditional fare. But thousands of food eaten around the world comes from ADVERTISING generations of Aborigines thrived on an extremely narrow range-about Kate Lowe bush foods, and settlers left a legacy of eight cereals and grains, seven veg Phone: (02) 339 8331 recipes for such delicacies as kangaroo etables and about four fruits. Fax: (02) 339 8313 tail soup and Quandong pie. One person is working to change Pager: (02) 214 7035 Its a pity we didn't continue devel that. Sydney-based bush food supplier SUBSCRIPTIONS oping it. I often fondly recall one glori Victor Cherikoff experiments with new Annual subscription (4 issues) ous sunny day in the Gulf of Carpentaria uses of bush foods and assists farmers Within Australia $A30 feasting on fresh crocodile. But despite to produce them. Wild tomatoes, Quan Other Countries $A42 the thriving crocodile farms, like kanga dongs, wattle seed, bunya nuts, lemon Two-year subscription (8 issues) Within Australia $ASS roo meat, archaic laws restrict its sale. aspen, wild rosella, Lillipillis and Other Countries $A78 If it was available in butcher shops, I'd Kakadu Plums are all being produced be a regular buyer. commercially and some are used in such New subscriptions can be made by credit We are still clinging to our imported delicacies as wattle seed ice-cream. card on the ANH toll-free hotline European cuisine and our land is suffer Vic's philosophy is simple: we need to 008-028 558 or use the form in the back of the ing: farming hard-hoofed stock pro diversify food production and we need magazine. If it has been removed. send motes land degradation. But before to do this by growing locally native cheque. money order or credit card authorisation to the address above. made condemning farmers, start by looking at plants. In the desert we would grow payable to the ·Australian Museum' in your dinner plate. Who is eating it? desert foods; in the rainforest, rainfor Australian currency. We should harvest species that are est delicacies. We end up with a variety All material appearing ANH is copyright. adapted to the environment, like kan of unique, locally distinct cuisines. Reproduction in whole or in part is not garoos. The meat is better for us, too: Most native food plants are unsuited permitted without written authorisation from it's low in cholesterol and fat. But if to monoculture. Unfortunately, we the Editor. sales are restricted, no one benefits. In commonly think of plants as 'native' to Opinions expressed by the authors are their Queensland, it is illegal to sell kangaroo Australia, rather than an area. Austra own and do not necessarily represent the meat for human consumption; in New lia's enormous regional diversity under policies or views of the Australian Museum. ANH is printed on archival quality paper South Wales you can sell it only if it's lines a need for nurseries to specialise suitable for library collections. not stored with other meat (for no in locally native food plants. Nurseries logical reason). In Victoria ministerial are just one starting point. Introducing Published 1991 approval must be obtained. Yet Emu bush food cultivation into agricultural ISSN--0004-9840 meat is legal in all States. To really courses is also vital. And an Aboriginal splash out, visit the Northern Te rritory training program in native food pro Australian Natural Australian Natural where you can also dine on buffalo, duction and harvesting is a must, so History is audited by History is proud winner of camel, donkey and crocodile. that we can both teach and learn all the Audit Hureau of the 1987. '88, '89. ·90 & ·91 If these absurd laws were lifted, about local bush foods from traditional Circulations. Whitley Awards for farmers could use many animals they Aborigines and future research. This Best Periodical. now destroy as pests. We could have a not only promotes cultural exchange, it thriving export industry. Diversity of also encourages ecologically sound Front Cover resources gives security against tough agriculture. We have much to learn The 18-century French ornithologist. Le Vaillant. times, something our farmers need. about this part of our heritage. Let's left a legacy of supremely illustrated bird books. His fanciful fiction coupled with genuine facts and But what about conservation? All stop ignoring it. observations led to a poor reputation as a species have sustainable limits: any ani Meanwhile, I'll just sit back and scientist.