Dja Dja Wurrung woman Sharlee Dunolly-Lee was just beginning to discover her culture when a chance meeting at an Indigenous cooking workshop changed things forever.
Eighteen-year-old Dja Dja Wurrung woman Sharlee Dunolly-Lee was just beginning to discover her culture when a chance meeting at an Indigenous cooking workshop in Castlemaine changed things forever.Local elder Aunty Julie helped 18-year-old Sharlee Dunolly-Lee discover her talent for tea blendingHer business Dja Wonmuruk translates as 'Yes Tea' in English
"About a year ago I did a course here in Castlemaine, it was Aunty Julie's bush tucker course, and one of the women that did that course with me was Sonia Anthony from Masons of Bendigo," she said. "The strawberry gum, it grows in southern New South Wales just across the border. It just looks like a normal old gum tree, but you rub the leaves and it smells just like strawberry," she said."We knew that chai was popular and we really really wanted to spice the chai up. And the pepperberries are the key there.Sharlee says making the teas has helped her connect more deeply with her Dja Dja Wurrung community.
"It's really important for me to feel accepted as a Dja Dja Wurrung woman because I really want to revive and help carry on culture. It's sad to see it disappear."Ms Dunolly-Lee believes mixing traditional tea flavours with native ingredients has increased the mainstream appeal of the teas.
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