Some recollections and records of the Clarence and Richmond River Aborigines, compiled by Robert Leycester Dawson, September 1935 - Page 10

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In making opossum rugs the winter skins were pegged

out on trees and dried in the usual way and were then

prepared by the women and made soft and pliable by

patient rubbing with smooth  stones. Before the coming

of the white men's needles and thread I believe they

were sewn together with kangaroo tail sinews sinews.

They were beautiful rugs, much appreciated by white housewives.

Dilly bag grass grows in clumps, the stem is tall, flat, and

tough and it is found usually in sandstone country.

Years ago it was not plentiful but  I have on the homestead

ridge at Bentley, between Casino and Lismore, I have seen

black gins pounce eagerly upon it, gather it, and

carefully stow it away for future use. Seven years

ago I saw some clumps of it at Mr B. Carlill's property

Eurigar, Shannon  Brook, about a dozen miles from

Casino. The gins  had some way of preparing the

grass before weaving and  ^the  close woven finished work

was exquisite and extremely durable.

String was made from currajong bark and other trees  

including the inner bark of the descending roots of the

parasitic giant figtree. I have seen a blackfellow

stripping and bundling this for string but I don't recollect

ever seeing the actual process of manufacture  ^though  but  I

have been told that the bark was soaked in water