The Sturt Desert Pea, which is the Charles Sturt University (CSU) floral emblem, is alive and thriving. “Remarkable photos of the Sturt Desert Pea were captured recently at White Cliffs by Mr Jacob Philip, son of a fellow educator, Ms Julie Philip, from western NSW,” said Dr John Harper, senior lecturer in plant science at the CSU School of Agricultural and Wine Sciences. “The desert has not bloomed like this for many years. It is a clear sign that the drought has finally broken.” The native plant, known as Swainsona formosa, takes pride of place on the CSU Arms reflecting the University's reputation as a national institution. The Pea was named after the explorer Charles Sturt for his exploration of inland Australia. The Aboriginal name for the pea is Ngooringa. It is based on a story about a girl who fell in love with someone from another tribe and, as a consequence, she became ill and died. Her spirit came back as the beautiful desert flower.