Ngarn Wa’ngal: Art of the gum tree publication

A book titled Ngan’ng Wanggali: Art of the gum tree featuring painted gum trees against a pink and purple background, placed on a plain light gray surface.

Ngarn Wa’ngal: Art of the gum tree publication

by Alisa Bunbury and Sophie Gerhard

Ngarn Wa’ngal: Art of the Gum Tree is a landmark publication dedicated to the eucalypt and the art it inspires. It traces the gum tree through art history and contemporary practice, engaging with Indigenous sovereignty, Australian identity, nationalism, climate change, land management and the tree’s global impact. Published in association with a major exhibition at the University of Melbourne's Potter Museum of Art.

Richly illustrated, the book features a range of contributors, from artists, Aboriginal Elders and art historians to ecologists, poets and writers who share their responses to this iconic Australian symbol, charting the gum tree’s ever-evolving significance in art, culture, the environment and wider society.

The title Ngarn Wa'ngal translates as 'breathing for us' in Woi Wurrung language.

$69.99

Available to purchase at the Potter Museum of Art from 10 July or preorder online.

Preorder

Two figures in bright yellow-green clothing and elaborate feathered hats stand in front of gum trees. The right side has the book title Ngann WangaL: Art of the gum tree and editors names on a white background.

Abstract pastel artwork in peach, blue, and beige tones on the left; on the right, the title “Eucalypt dreaming: An ode to an iconic tree” with text by Michael-Shawn Fletcher about the cultural significance of eucalyptus.

A large, gnarled tree with textured bark sprawls horizontally across a sloping, leaf-covered ground in a black-and-white image. Branches twist outward, creating dramatic shapes against the sky.

Two landscape paintings of Australian bushland with eucalyptus trees. The left image is colorful, showing pale trees and a red hill. The right image is more muted, with tall trees and soft brownish tones. Text columns appear between and beside the images.

A person in a red coat stands outdoors by a tree at sunset, looking into the distance. Text appears on the left, including a quote about the importance of trees, and a story is printed on the right side of the image.

A two-page spread: left page shows two photos of streets with trees and houses, one with a blurred red car passing; right page displays the poem Municipal Gum by Oodgeroo Noonuccal (Kath Walker) in white text on a black background.

About the editors

Alisa Bunbury is Senior Curator, Grimwade Collection at the University of Melbourne and has previously worked as a curator at the National Gallery of Victoria and Art Gallery of South Australia. She is a specialist in colonial art history who seeks to contribute to a deeper understanding of Australia's complex past.

Sophie Gerhard is a curator and researcher based in Naarm and Adjunct Curator at the University of Melbourne. Her curatorial interests include conversations surrounding national identity and colonialism, in particular the emotion of shame and its role within Australian and First Nations art.

Ngarn Wa’ngal: Art of the gum tree publication