BLACK BOY Resin Quills | Xanthorrhoea australis

Xanthorrhoea comes from the Greek ‘xanthos’, which means ‘to flow’ and refers to the resin that seeps from the stem. Xanthorrhoea, more commonly known as the Black Boy, is one of the most unique and iconic plants in Australia and is especially important to Aboriginal people. Black Boy Trees grow in all Australian states and territories, especially on the east and west coast and grow at the rate of 1cm per year and can live up to 600 years. They are hardy, thrive in nutrient-poor soils, are frost tolerant and can also survive bush fire and drought.

Grass trees don’t shed their old leaves. The bases of their leaves are packed tightly around their stem, and are held together by a strong, water-proof resin. As the old leaves accumulate, they form a thick bushy 'skirt' around the trunk making a safe habitat for native mammals and shielding the stem from heat to survive the passage of fire. It can take over 20 years before a grass tree produces its first flowers.

Xanthorrhoea was a highly valued resource with many uses to the Aboriginal peoples. The flowering spike was used a spear shaft and the flowers were soaked in water to give a sweet tasting fermented drink. In the bush, the flowers could reveal directions, since flowers of the spike would face on the warmer, sunnier northern side. The resin was an invaluable adhesive for tool and spear making, patching leaky water containers, canoes and didgeridoos.

The resin was chewed to relieve both diarrhoea and constipation. The smoke from burning the resin was inhaled to help relieve sinusitis.

In some Aboriginal tribes, men would be initiated by their elders at the age of 27 by sitting on the ground and being covering in many kangaroo skins forming a single person sweat lodge. Black Boy resin and other herbs would then be burnt in great quantities inside and the initiate is quickly overcome and keels over, at which point the kangaroo skins are removed. The initiate is then said to astral travel to the Dream Time and meet with their Ancestors to retrieve important information that will be valuable to them for the rest of their life.

It has been reported that Black Boy Resin contains a number of complex active alkaloids, in particular The Spirit Molecule and The God Molecule.

The highly flammable resin was used to start fires. The resin was combined with charcoal and kangaroo droppings and heated to produce a strong glue. A solution of resin was used to tan animal hides.