truwana/Cape Barren Island, Tasmania – Facing the challenges of remoteness and rising costs, the Aboriginal community of truwana/Cape Barren Island is forging a path towards greater food security by blending innovative agricultural techniques with deeply rooted cultural traditions. The island, located off the north-eastern coast of Tasmania, is home to approximately 80 people, the majority of whom are Indigenous, and relies heavily on a monthly barge and limited plane deliveries for essential supplies.
Securing a consistent supply of fresh produce has long been a struggle for the island’s only store, managed by Kathryn Longey, CEO of the Cape Barren Island Aboriginal Association. “It’s pretty full on, a lot of the community come into the shop after the boat’s been in,” Longey said, describing the bustling atmosphere on barge day. The remoteness drives up prices, and staples like dairy products often become scarce. Recognizing this vulnerability, the community has embraced a two-pronged approach: a newly established greenhouse and a renewed focus on traditional food sources.
A New Bloom: The Community Greenhouse
In 2023, the Cape Barren Island Aboriginal Association partnered with Primary Health Tasmania to establish a greenhouse, providing a controlled environment for year-round produce cultivation. Overseen by Tessa Atto, the island’s health and programs coordinator, the greenhouse is already yielding tangible results. “We’ve got a person who works a couple of hours per day creating all this beautiful produce and maintaining it,” Atto explained. “We’ve also got some community garden beds where people can just come in and grow their own stuff.”
The produce grown in the greenhouse is freely available to community members at the island’s shop. Atto expressed the joy of seeing the impact firsthand: “I get so much joy out of cleaning the produce and taking it down to the shop…bagging it up, knowing that the kids are going to be really excited about the tomatoes.” The initiative is also introducing residents to new vegetables, like bok choy, which has been “loved by the community,” according to Atto. Beyond access, the greenhouse offers broader health benefits, fostering a connection to the growing process and promoting healthier diets. Government data indicates that over 90 percent of adults across Australia do not consume enough vegetables, a statistic the community hopes to address locally.
Honoring Tradition: Mutton Birds and the Sea
While the greenhouse represents a new chapter in the island’s food security story, the community continues to rely on traditional food sources that have sustained them for generations. Seafood is harvested through various methods, including lines, traps, and spearfishing. Perhaps most significantly, the smaller islands in Bass Strait serve as rookeries for mutton birds, or yula, a vital part of the community’s cultural and nutritional heritage.
Aaron Maynard, chair of the Cape Barren Island Aboriginal Association, described the process of harvesting mutton birds, which involves carefully reaching into burrows to retrieve the birds. He explained that the birds taste “like a mix of lamb and smoked salmon.” The practice is not merely about sustenance; it’s deeply intertwined with cultural identity. “Muttonbirding and [being] on the water is where most of us feel at home,” Maynard said. The community practices sustainable harvesting, taking fewer than 100,000 birds from a population estimated at 2 million.
The Australian government’s national strategy to tackle food insecurity in remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities recognizes the importance of traditional foods, acknowledging their role in both wellbeing and cultural preservation. This aligns with the community’s perspective, where traditional food sources are seen as integral to their identity. “It’s a main food source, but it’s [also] the number one Culture that we’ve never had taken off us,” Maynard emphasized.
The success of these initiatives on truwana/Cape Barren Island demonstrates a powerful model for other remote communities facing similar challenges. As the community continues to refine its approach to food security, the combination of modern innovation and time-honored traditions promises a more sustainable and culturally rich future. The focus will likely remain on strengthening local production and ensuring access to both nutritious and culturally significant foods.
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