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Junior Rangers learn traditional Niau broom making

Junior Rangers and facilitators preparing the Niau midribs
Junior Rangers and facilitators preparing the Niau midribs
Thursday 4 June 2026

In May, the Junior Rangers engaged in a special activity with local cultural practitioner Kath King, making a traditional Niau broom.

This activity was designed to introduce the children to the importance of sustainable harvesting of natural fibres, and their use in cultural practices.

The Norfolk Island Palm (Rhopalostylis baueri) also known locally as the Niau Palm, is endemic to Norfolk Island. The red berries are a favoured fruit of the endemic Norfolk Island Green Parrot, and the fronds have been used for traditional basket weaving and broom making since the arrival of the Pitcairn Settlers in 1856. A full Niau broom requires around 10 fronds and is made of 365 midribs, one for every day of the year. Historically, the hearts of these palms were also eaten by early European settlers and referred to as cabbage palm or cabbage trees by Philip Gidley King in 1788. They became one of the main vegetables eaten on the island.

Junior Rangers worked with Kath and facilitators within the Norfolk Island National Park to harvest Niau Palm fronds and prepared the fronds to enable the processing of the midribs.

 

Junior Rangers and facilitators preparing the Niau midribs.
Junior Rangers and facilitators preparing the Niau midribs

The following week, Junior Rangers were joined again by Cultural Practitioners Kath King and Nic Gow and Norfolk Island Council of Elders President Pauline Reynolds, who worked with the children to strip the prepared leaves and clean the midribs using shells. These ribs were then joined together and securely tied using a waini (tie) making a traditional Niau palm broom. The session was finished with an impromptu singalong to Kath’s song ‘Ai guud’, where the Junior Rangers got a real kick out of the line ‘swippen aa raenda lorng f’ myse niau broom’ – which means ‘I have swept the veranda with my Niau broom’!

This special activity gave Junior Rangers the opportunity to learn cultural knowledge and traditional practices through hands-on experience with volunteer community leaders and the natural environment. Thanks to Kath, Pauline and Nic.