General News
12 June, 2025
Turning dead tree into canoe
A PROMINENT First Nations organisation and enthusiastic local primary school students are teaming up to transform a recently removed tree into a traditional canoe in a unique cultural and educational project.
The milky pine, which stood beside the Douglas Shire Council administration building on Front Street, Mossman, was removed on Friday last week due to damage it was causing to a driveway, stormwater drainage and a nearby fire hydrant.
Thanks to a $25,000 NAB Foundation Grant, the Kubirriwarra Yalanji Aboriginal Corporation will collaborate with Mossman State School to repurpose the tree into a traditional canoe as part of the Nganjin Ngaral Kaljan Yala Makarr Muruku Balkanya project – a community recovery initiative.
Kubirriwarra Yalanji Aboriginal Corporation chairman John Hartley said the tree would be put to good use.
“We are going to craft a traditional outrigger dugout canoe from it and it will then stay as a permanent exhibition for a long time,” he said.
“It’s really about the conversations we have while doing the project and affording the children some opportunity to talk with elders and to learn about how things were done a long time ago.”
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