People are using grinding stones to reduce grass seeds into flour at what will become known as Cuddie Springs in central northern NSW, making them possibly the first people in the world to bake bread.
During the area’s only two seasons — summer and winter — women and children gather seeds from many types of grasses. They collect panicum (native millet), triodia (spinifex), kangaroo grass, Mitchell grass, nardoo grass (a swamp grass) and medit grass.
Panicum is the easiest to grow, harvest and turn into flour.
When the grass flower starts dying, the time is ripe for picking the seeds.
These seeds are then separated from the husks and placed in the sun to dry out in preparation to be ground into flour, which can be a white or grey colour.
Water is added to the flour in small amounts to create dough.
The dough is then put into the ashes to be cooked into Widja (bread).