Tea Tree & Traditional Aboriginal Medicine

The Melaleuca Alternifolia Tea Tree & Traditional Aboriginal Medicine

In 1770, after landing in Botany Bay, Captain James Cook continued his exploration north through the coastal regions of New South Wales. During this journey, he and his botanists noted huge groves of trees with sticky, aromatic leaves.

They observed the local Aboriginals drinking a brew from the leaves of this tree and applying a tincture of salve on wounds with paperbark. This is where the name “Tea” Tree was born.

In time, the North Coast would develop with early settlers. Richmond River and Coraki (known as 'meeting of the rivers') was the biggest trading port on the Far North Coast, especially as this is where they grew the most spectacular red cedar timber.

During the establishment of various industries, the fair-skinned Europeans suffered very badly from sun exposure as well as bacterial and fungal diseases.  

The settlers noticed the native Aboriginals were crushing tea tree and covering their wounds with it. The settlers established the local Indigenous culture had an innate understanding of the tree's benefits. They followed their example to use the tree oil with a modern distilling technique and it wasn’t long before they set up “bush stills” in Coraki to extract the essential oil version out of the leaf. 

This was the birth of the tea tree industry worldwide, which quickly developed into local plantations for production.

Today, Jendale is in the heart of this region and as such aims to protect the integrity of the Melaleuca Alternifolia Tea Tree in its natural state, ensuring the production of quality and organic products offering the many benefits to people around the world.