Module 6 ( Why is the plant 'golden wattle' so significant in Australia? What do Australians celebrate on the 1-st of September? ) :

The 'golden wattle'

Indigenous peoples of Australia soaked the gum of the golden wattle in water and honey to produce a sweet, toffee-like substance. The tannin from the bark was known for its antiseptic properties.

Colonial settlers cultivated the golden wattle using the bark in the tanning industry, the gum for glues and the blossom for its honey.

The golden wattle was unofficially accepted as the national floral emblem to mark Federation in 1901.

The first day of September is National Wattle Day. It builds on a long unofficial tradition of wearing the wattle blossom on 1 September. The day was introduced in 1913 by an association called the Wattle Day League and formally recognised on 23 June 1992.

Australians can celebrate their floral heritage each Wattle Day by planting wattles.