Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Bush Medicine: Public Knowledge and Respect

Many peoples, not one tradition

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples include many nations with different languages, Country and healing knowledge. "Bush medicine" is a general English phrase, and there is no single bush medicine system. This page is information only. We are not Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander healers, we hold no cultural authority, and nothing here is an endorsement by any community. We share only public material and do not describe how any plant is prepared or used for treatment. We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the lands where this knowledge comes from.

What public sources say

The Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet, hosted by Edith Cowan University, says traditional medicine practice in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures reflects a holistic worldview. [1] It says traditional healers have extensive knowledge and can interpret symptoms and provide treatments including bush rubs and medicines, and that this knowledge is passed down from generation to generation. [1]

A 2013 literature review in the Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine found that traditional medicine practice in Aboriginal Australia still remains, and that how far it is practiced varies widely among communities. [2] It also noted a lack of academic literature and research on the subject. [2] The review reported a survey in which, in 2010 to 2011, 19.7% of clinics funded for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander primary health care offered services of traditional healers and 12.4% offered bush medicine. [2] That is old data, and we did not find a current national figure.

Ngangkari: an example of a community-led program

The NPY Women's Council says Ngangkari are the traditional healers of the Ngaanyatjarra, Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara (NPY) lands in the remote western desert of Central Australia. [3] The Council runs the Ngangkari Program, which it says supports them to continue their work in communities, clinics and hospitals. [3] The Australian Indigenous Governance Institute describes the program as developed in 1998 and says Ngangkari have cultural authority and traditional healing knowledge passed down from generation to generation. [4]

This shows why we avoid generalizing. Ngangkari work belongs to Anangu communities of one region, and the healers are recognized by those communities. Other nations have their own healers and protocols. Some knowledge is restricted by gender, age or ceremony, and this site does not describe it. For why, see Indigenous knowledge: what is public and what is restricted.

What research shows

Research on traditional healing practice is thin, as the 2013 review notes. [2] We found no controlled trials of Ngangkari healing or of bush medicine as a whole, so the honest label is: Proper evidence not found. For plants, researchers have mostly run laboratory studies. A 2021 review of selected Australian plants found many with antioxidant activity in laboratory tests, and said hundreds of plants still need exploration and detailed study. [5] Laboratory activity is a reason to study a plant, not proof that it helps people. See historical use vs clinical evidence.

Kakadu plum

Kakadu plum (Terminalia ferdinandiana) is a fruit of northern Australia. A 2023 paper says it has a long history of use by Indigenous Australians and important medicinal and nutritional value in Aboriginal cultures. [6] The same paper reports that earlier work measured 2300 to 3150 mg of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) per 100 g of fresh fruit. [6] For vitamin C itself, see vitamin C.

What we did not find: human clinical trials. A PubMed search for Terminalia ferdinandiana and human, run on 2026-10-22, returned records whose most recent titles were laboratory, cell and food-chemistry studies. [7] One example tested extracts on human intestinal and liver cells in a dish. [8] Evidence label: preclinical.

There is also a caution. A 2016 food-chemistry study placed Kakadu plum fruit in the high-oxalate category and said this could raise urinary oxalate in susceptible people, so intake of fruit-derived products should be closely monitored. [9] If you have had kidney stones or have kidney disease, ask a clinician before using concentrated Kakadu plum powders. Also read supplement labels carefully; see reading "traditionally used for" claims on labels.

Buying and learning respectfully

Native foods and plant products are also a business. Ask whether Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people grow, harvest or benefit from a product, and be skeptical of vague claims. See cultural appropriation and traditional healing products and traditional knowledge protection and benefit sharing.