D’harawal Elder Auntie Frances Bodkin is a national treasure. A respected botanist and educator, she’s also the author of multiple books, including Encyclopaedia Botanica: The Essential Reference Guide to Native and Exotic Plants in Australia (1986), which details more than 11,000 plant species. Fran grew up learning the stories of D’harawal culture from her mother, and she’s spent her long career combining this Traditional Knowledge with Western approaches to scientific study.

In the 1970s, Fran helped establish the Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan near Sydney. This 416-hectare site is home to more than 4,000 native plant species and is situated in what was once a meeting place for Indigenous peoples; today, it’s also home to a memorial for the Stolen Generations. The D’harawal name for Mount Annan is Yandel’ora, which means ‘place of peace between peoples’. This interview – which has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity – took place on a sunny autumn afternoon on a hilltop at Mount Annan.