About Bush Dye Products

Hand Dyed on remote Aboriginal communities across the Groote Eylandt Archipelago, off the Gulf of Carpentaria.

Anindilyakwa women hold ancient knowledge of their country. Colours within the fabric are harvested from natural dyes from native plant life and discarded metal objects found on community.

The dying process begins with a bush trip that draws on traditional knowledge to find and collect roots, leaves, bark and berries that have always been used in traditional dyeing practices. The women carefully design each garment, binding each piece with leaves and found objects from community to place on the boil. It’s then time for a cuppa and to wait and watch the silk transform from white into a unique reflection of the land.

We make every effort to ensure colours display accurately online, however, display colour does vary. Dimensions 154 x 41 cm

This garment has been rinsed but not washed, we recommend cold hand washing separately with mild non-bleaching detergent or shampoo. Do not dry clean, tumble dry, soak in hot water or bleach.

Due to the nature of the bush dyeing process, the colour of this product may transfer to other objects, we recommend avoiding contact with light coloured surfaces.

About Anindilyakwa Arts Centre

“The Land Council started by people coming together to think and talk for the future. They made the art centre in 2005 for all Anindilyakwa people.

Some people were already making art and selling it to Balanda (non-Indigenous people) on the Eylandt. Spears, Woomera, didgeridoo, paintings and baskets.

Now we sell the art to the art centre first, they pay us and sell it on.

The art centre can sell it anywhere, like when we go out to Darwin for the art fair. People love what we’re doing, the bush dye and jewellery.

Balanda (non-Indigenous people) when they buy art straight from our art centre, it’s better. We get good money to build the art centre for the future.

The art centre is for people to come and learn, we learn (teach) new people from the community to make art the old ways.

The art centre is good for community, not everyone is an artist or interested in learning the old ways. It’s important that we teach them so they can make baskets and dilly bags too. The old people left us this for the future.”

- Annabel Amagula, Senior Anindilyakwa Artist 

 Priced at: $130 with free shipping on orders over $99