Nardoo (the stuff that killed Bourke & Wills)

Hi all,

Have any of the intrepid bush tucker men & women out there tried to make damper or any type of food from Nardoo?

I am heading to Innamincka next week and keen to try making damper with it, if I can find some on the banks of Cooper Creek.

I would be very greatful to hear from anyone who has attempted this and whether one damper or meal had any ill effects.

For those who haven't heard of it before, Nardoo is a fern that grows on the banks of the Cooper Creek. When Bourke & Wills returned to the Dig Tree from the gulf the local aborigines made a kind of flour out of it and gave it to B&W. This sustained them until the Aborigines moved on. When B&W tried to prepare it they skipped (or weren't aware of) an important step - heating the plant to break down toxins before cooking / eating it. The toxin didn't poison them as such, it stopped the cells in their bodies absorbing energy & nutrients from the food they were eating. They slowly starved even though they were eating enough calories and nutrients.

Any help much appreciated

Ben