Colours of Djilba at Government House

The Noongar season of Djilba has well and truly arrived at Government House, with our beautiful flowers reflecting the colours of ‘first spring’ on the Noongar calendar.

Running August through September, Djilba is a transitional time of year where we start to see cold, wet days make way for warmer, clearer conditions. New arrivals will start to appear and birds such as the Koolbardi (magpie) and Djidi Djidi (willy wagtail) become more protective of their young.

On the land creams and yellows explode into action at the start of Djilba, before we see an emergence of pinks and blues as the season moves through.

Djlba is reflected and respected in our Government House floral installations, with many of the plants and leaves gathered from our own Gardens.

The bright golden of the Acacia’s, including the Mindalong or golden wattle, sit alongside the draping foliage of the ‘Kwell’ or ‘talking tree’. Also known as the Western Sheoak or Allocasuarina fraseriana, we are fortunate to have many of these very special trees at Government House.

In Noongar culture the Kwell is said to hold the names of all the ancestors for the place where they grow.

Around our Gardens we are also seeing the emergence of Geraldton Wax or Chamelaucium uncinatum, a beautiful West Australian native shrub that will grow in abundance across the Djilba season.

Government House is located on the land of the Whadjuk people of the Noongar nation and we pay our respects to the original custodians, and to all members of Aboriginal communities across the state.

Don’t forget our Gardens are open to the public between 12pm and 2pm every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

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