Bush Tucker Counting Cards | Batchelor Institute

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Bush Tucker Counting Cards

Home Bush Tucker Counting Cards

27 May 2025

2 minute read

The Bush Tucker Counting Cards belong to an educational kit to develop skills in language and numeracy. The kit includes a set of cards, 1-10, with four different bush tucker symbols, along with a ‘Numbers’ poster. The kit is focused on early learners from Central and Western Desert language groups and has been developed by the Indigenous Literacy Foundation (ILF) in association with Batchelor Institute Press.

The cards are modelled on playing cards but scaled up and with four bush tucker-themed ‘suits’ including (in Pitjantjatjara language) maku (witchetty grub), wayanu (quandong), tjala (honey ant) and utiralya (bush banana). Artwork for the project was provided by Sharon Naparulla Burns (ILF) and Rosaria Napangardi Everingham with Batchelor Press's Maurice O'Riordan and Daly Cronin providing concept assistance and design/layout work. Other ILF staff involved in the project include Josie Lardy and Jolene Brown. The kit’s ‘Numbers’ poster comes from Batchelor Press’s range of poster templates and has been left blank so that it can be used for various languages. With project resources completed in May, the kit will soon be distributed by ILF to its various partners throughout Central Australia.

A coolamon design appears on the back of each 'suit' card (centre), with four bush tucker suits numbered 1 to 10; each card 17 x 12cm.