05/09/2025
ACA Engagement & Noongar Six Seasons
A big thank you to the Australian Chiropractors Association (ACA) for their ongoing support of our student community 🤝. At our recent sponsored Engagement Event, final year students were joined by Joanne Servaas, ACA Regional Engagement Manager (Western).
Joanne and Dr Nathan Bridger (Chiropractor) shared valuable insights into the services available to newly graduated chiropractors, including contract review support through ACA’s online HR services.
✨ The event began with a presentation from Elisha Jacobs-Smith a Senior Training Manager, First Nations at MU, who shared the wisdom of the Noongar Six Seasons.
Unlike the four European seasons many of us are familiar with, the Noongar calendar is guided by the land itself: the flowering of plants, the behaviour of animals, and the changes in weather.
🌿 Birak – Season of the Young (Dec / Jan) Hot and dry with easterly winds in the morning and sea breezes in the afternoon with fledgling birds leaving nests.
🔥 Bunuru – Hottest Season (Feb / Mar) Second Summer, with little to no rain. White flowers dominate, especially on peppermint trees and jarrah.
🍂 Djeran – Season of Adulthood (Apr / May) Cooler weather begins, winds shift to the south. Red flowering plants like banksias start to bloom. Root vegetables and bulbs are food sources.
💧 Makuru – Cold and Wet Season (Jun / Jul) Coldest season, with heavy rain and strong westerly gales. Blue and purple flowers appear across the landscape. Breeding season, especially black swans.
🌸 Djilba – Season of Conception (Aug / Sep) A mix of cold and warm days. Animals give birth and wildflowers start to bloom, yellows and creams dominate. Grass trees show flowering spikes.
🌼 Kambarang – Season of Birth (Oct / Nov) Longer dry periods return. Abundance of wildflowers, especially orchids and kangaroo paws. Reptiles and snakes become more visible while freshwater fish are gathered.
The talk was both impressive and thought-provoking, reminding us that seasons are not just dates on a calendar, but living cycles deeply connected to Country. We all reflect on the contrast between the fixed European framework of four seasons and the nuanced understanding First Nations peoples have cultivated over thousands of years. We collectively left with a renewed appreciation for how much we can learn when we listen to and respect First Nations knowledge systems.
Of course, ACA also made sure no one went hungry, providing food 🥗🍕 for all who attended! We appreciate ACA’s commitment to helping our students transition confidently into their professional careers. 🙌
