WHAT is "NABRANf" 



Narran is aii edible scrub somewhat resembling Brigalow, but is more desir- 

 able as fodder. It grows mostly in the interior and far west of New South 

 Walt's, and in one small patch in the north of Queensland. It had been known 

 for some time that Narran grew somewhere up north, as blacks had been 

 found with spears made of it, but it had not been seen by the whites. In 

 1881, when taking cattle out to stock some new country in the Northern 

 Territory, I came across a large belt of it on the very head of a branch of the 

 Nicholson Kiver, almost on the dividing watershed. From the appearance of 

 the scrub it was a popular resort of the natives for the purpose of making 

 their weapons, the whole belt having been picked over, and the ground was 

 strewn with shavings and chips. Narran is not found in Western Australia. 



The above paragraph occurs in the Sydney Mall for 1890. I have vainly 

 tried to trace the name of the writer. 



Then the well-known explorer, Mr. Ernest Favenc, wrote an article in the 

 Sydney Morning Herald of the 25th August, 1906. in which the following 

 passage occurs : 



The next scrub we find mentioned as a hindrance to travel is between the 

 LfK-hhm and Murrumbidgee, where the " thick Eucalj'ptus scrub " turned Oxley 

 back in disappointment and disgust. Oxley afterwards met with clumps of' 

 Myall scrub, when north of the Macquarie, of which he at first speaks rather 

 disparagingly, although now considered one of our most useful trees, as well 

 as one of graceful and ornamental appearance. Other trees of the same 

 species, the Narran, &c., seldom grow so dense or close as to be impenetrable 

 to a rider, although requiring great care to steer a safe course through, and 

 being eminently adapted to fostering the growth of wild cattle, and the de- 

 velopment of that human centaur, the Australian scrub-rider. 



Seeing the old name Narran once more, I wrote to Mr. Favenc, and he 

 kindly replied: 



Re Narran. It may be only a locally-used name, but when I was droving 

 about twenty-five years ago it was commonly used on the Bogan, and right 

 across to the Warrego. I had been all my life in Queensland before then, and 

 took it for a kind of Brigalow until corrected. 



I wrote to Mr. Hunt, of Burdenda, Dandaloo, at Mr. Favenc's suggestion, 

 and that gentleman kindly sent me a twig of Yarran. 



Later on, under date 28th December, 1906, a letter from me in the 

 Sydney Morning Herald contained the following passage : 



On 25th August last Mr. Favenc had an interesting article on "Scrub" in 

 the Herald, in which the following passage occurs: "Other trees' of the same 

 species (genus), the Narran, &c., seldom grow so dense or close as to be im- 

 penetrable to a rider." He had been referring to Myall, so that Narran is a 

 Wattle. I wrote to Mr. Favenc. and. following up clues that he gave, wrote to 

 certain people, and they sent me twigs of Yarran (Acacia homalophylla) . I 

 also wrote to a Queensland friend, but without result. 



Now, I have occasionally, though very rarely, heard the name Narran used 

 berth in New South Wales and Queensland, but my efforts to trace this Wattle 

 have never met with success. I venture to ask your readers if they can send 

 me a 6- inch twig of Narran, otherwise I must begin a second twenty years* 

 search after this botanical " will o' the wisp." 



To this letter a number of replies were received, amongst others the 

 following two : 



There is no such timber as Narran in this Colony or Queensland. Beyond a 

 river of that name the word Narran is almost unknown. We have Brigalow 

 Creek, Gum Flats, Myall Hollows, Mulga Scrubs, and so on, but never, as an 

 out-and-out bushman, traversing the bowels of New South Wales and Queens- 

 land, have I even heard of Narran. False names, through faulty pronuncia- 

 tion, may deceive an ordinary layman, but never a bushman. Hence Narran 



t 94031 D 



