This 26th January, bring a gentle moment of truth-telling to the table l Free Recipe Download l Roasted Macadamias with Girri Girri (Lemon Myrtle)

in Jan 12, 2026

Macadamia, Country, and a Truth-Telling Table

Macadamias are not just “an Australian nut”, they're a living reminder of how ancient this continent really is, and how deep the knowledge systems are that have always belonged here.

For me, macadamia is a metaphor: ancient rainforest Country, held and cared for under the stewardship of the world’s oldest continuing Cultures - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

This is part of how we show up at Chocolate On Purpose® - with Culture, accountability, and care.

Macadamia is ancient, and it began here

Macadamias grow along Australia’s eastern coast, stretching from the NSW Mid North Coast in the south up to the Atherton Tablelands in the north. The Bundaberg and Northern Rivers regions together produce about 80% of the country’s crop.

What really stops me every time is this: macadamia trees are mostly grown where they naturally evolved more than 60 million years ago. That fact is a powerful reminder that this is ancient rainforest Country, still feeding us today.

Another detail I love is that Australia is the only country where macadamias grow wild. In fact, the global macadamia industry traces back to wild Australian trees. So when you hold a macadamia in your hand, you’re holding a food with deep, living, ancient connections to this place.

Names that carry Country

In the places macadamias grow naturally, Communities have their own names for them. Public sources record names including:

  • Bundjalung: gumbar
  • Yugambeh: gumburra (also recorded as Boombera)
  • Butchulla: baphal
  • Kabi Kabi: kindal kindal

These words matter. They are a reminder that macadamias have always belonged to living Languages and living Communities, long before they became a commodity.

A thriving continent, long before 1788

Long before Australia was a state-nation, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples lived in thriving, interconnected Countries.

This continent was never “empty”. It was alive with knowledge systems - of seasons, food, ceremony, relationship, and exchange. When we speak about trade routes and Songlines, we are speaking about sophisticated ways of knowing and moving through Country.

Why 26 January lands differently

In Australia, many people mark 26 January with a BBQ - family, friends, sunshine, and a story about “the founding of Australia”.

But 26 January also marks the First Fleet arrival at Sydney Cove, and it has long been a date of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander protest and mourning, known as the Day of Mourning and Survival Day.

This is where the contradiction sits for me.

Australia Day is often spoken about as a time for inclusion and respect. Yet a day meant to unite us cannot fully do that work while it is anchored to a date that causes real pain for many First Nations people.

As Gunditjmara man Andrew Morrison has said:

“Aboriginal people have survived every version of this country - invasion, assimilation, erasure, incarceration, and now resurgence of hate dressed up as nationalism.”

So here is the question I cannot ignore: is insisting on the date of this country's celebration being held on 26 January just another version that Aboriginal people are expected to survive?

Recognising that hurt matters. Accepting it matters. And choosing a different date to celebrate this Country is a practical act of respect and reconciliation.

A food-led way to bring truth-telling to the table

I am not here to tell people what to do. But I do believe we can choose how we show up on that day.

If you are gathering on 26 January, consider making space for a small moment of truth-telling - gently, respectfully - with food as the bridge.

Here is my invitation:

  • Share something delicious (like these roasted macadamias).
  • Share one true thing about this place.
  • Ask a question you are willing to sit with.

Get the free recipe PDF

Get the free roasted macadamia recipe PDF

Why you will love this recipe

This recipe is made for sharing - with family, friends, or colleagues around a table. If you are gathering on 26 January, it can also be a gentle way to make space for truth-telling and allyship: sharing something delicious, sharing interesting facts, naming one true thing about this place, and listening with care.

When you download this recipe, you’ll also join my Walumarra Chocolate Mob newsletter, where I share occasional stories from Country, native ingredient discoveries, and first looks at what we’re quietly crafting. (You can unsubscribe anytime).

If you'd like simple prompts for truth-telling at the table, try these:

Fun fact: the global macadamia industry traces back to wild Australian trees from the rainforests along the north-east coast of NSW and south-east Queensland. And because macadamias belong to specific places, different First Nations Communities have their own names for them - like gumbar/gambar on Bundjalung Country, and Boombera on Yugambeh Country.

A shared sentiment: I love this connection of ancient macadamias to First Nations Communities: it tells the story of how Australia's story did not start with the First Fleet in 1788, or Cook’s arrival in 1770, or the arrival of any other European explorer. It goes way, way back - over 65,000 years - with Australia’s First Nations walking and caring for Country, including the rainforests where wild macadamias grow.

Curious Questions, if it feels right for your gathering: Whose traditional lands are we on right now? How about we look up the traditional names of the foods we're sharing? Or, as you enjoy the aroma and taste of these macadamias, I wonder - do any thoughts about Australia’s history come to mind that you'd like to share, or simply sit with?

A personal note on safety, “shadow harm” and trauma

I haven’t commented publicly about the recent tragedy at Bondi in Sydney. It took lives, shattered families, and rocked Communities to the core.

To say my C-PTSD (Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) was triggered is an understatement. For me, it’s not only the violence. It’s the cold, calculated planning behind it.

Trauma can sit quietly for years, and then a date, a headline, a crowd, a chant can bring it rushing back.

That’s part of why 26 January lands so differently for Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Communities.

If a nation chose to celebrate on the anniversary of a national tragedy, many people would immediately understand why that would feel unbearable. For First Nations people, celebrating a national day on 26 January can feel like that: an annual public celebration tied to the beginning of invasion, dispossession, and generations of harm.

And each year, it can also become a stage for people who minimise that pain, or dress hate up as “patriotism”.

That’s why I won’t make space for shadow harm - people with their own agendas, stirring fear with insinuations, links, and whispers, without accountability or truth.

Truth-telling is not that.

Truth-telling is brave, accountable, and grounded. It’s done with care for the people who carry the consequences.

Our practice at Chocolate On Purpose®

We return from our holiday break on Monday 26 January because we do not celebrate that date. We celebrate the beautiful land we live on on 25th January, and we work on the 26th.

If you’re new here, you can read our story and values and why we choose to work on 26 January.

Want to take action too?

As you gather on 26 January, you might also choose one small action alongside the conversation.

Lush Australia and Aboriginal-led social enterprise Clothing The Gaps are running the “Not a Date to Celebrate” campaign from 19 to 26 January. This is a call to the Prime Minister to formally acknowledge the harm caused by celebrating Australia Day on 26 January and to engage respectfully with First Nations voices about the future of the national day.

Please add your voice and sign the petition online to show your allyship and solidarity with First Nations Communities.

And if you’d like to explore more native ingredients, you can shop our native botanical chocolate collection.

If you take anything from this, let it be this: food can be a bridge.

As you gather this summer, I invite you to bring a truth-telling table to life - with care, respect, and curiosity. Learn a local story. Listen to a First Nations voice.

“And remember: this continent has always been ancient, living, and loved.”

References

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