Mana-gubra

This region was once a beautiful place of plenty, pristine and rich with marine life.

In the estuarine swamplands, the Alexandria Canal was excavated out of Sheas Creek between 1887 and 1900 and named in honour of Princess Alexandra, Princess of Wales and later Queen consort to Edward VII. It has a catchment area of 1380 hectares which includes the suburbs of Alexandria, Moore Park, Redfern. This creek was originally a narrow, winding waterway that was a part tidal, part free-flowing rivulet fed by freshwater streams further inland.

This region, along with other saltwater inlets of the Cooks River and Botany Bay were frequented by many local clans who relied on the abundance of food found in the estuaries and coastal swamplands here.

In this artwork, the women are seen collecting ‘gubra’, using a narrow hook they would carry in their hair.

Gubra are marine wood-borers (L. Teredo navalis), commonly known as shipworms, that inhabit trees and logs, in particular mangroves that are submerged underwater.

Gubra were a popular delicacy for people living along the estuaries of the Sydney basin. Oysters, crabs, gubra, pippies and other marine life were regularly gathered from the shallow waters of the estuaries and swamplands.

The swamplands also provided various grasses that were used to weave the nets, baskets and bags that the women used to carry their supplies in. The women and children were the main food gatherers, collecting the more substantial share of the food required, and used their dilly bags to carry their food supplies back to camp.