October 2023

---

---

Lalanggarrany doo Darndal (The Crocodile and the turtle) Mabel Juli

In this work Mabel Juli has brought together two very significantNgarranggarni (Dreaming) stories from Darrajayin. As well as the physical proximity of parts of country in which these two stories take place, their central characters, namely Garnkiny the Moon and Lalanggarrany the Crocodile, are also both of Joowoorrooskin, making them Mabel’s classificatory brothers. Like Garnkiny,the Lalanggarrany doo Darndalstory strongly concerns the obligations laid down by kinship laws as the Crocodile’s maternal grandmother goes to great lengths to carry out her proper responsibility towards him, despite the deceiptful and disrespectful actions of Ant and Lizard. In this version told to Alana Hunt in 2013, Mabel is careful to detail the family relationships between the characters.

Lalanggarrany was a wonderful tall dancer who was preparing to dance with his brother. The Smelly Ant tricked the Bat into believing the Crocodile had been insulting him behind his back. Bat told the people to light a big fire so he could see where thatLalanggarrany was dancing with his brother. When he foundLalanggarrany, Bat speared him in the thigh, killing him.

Lalanggarrany’s maternal grandmother Darndal (Turtle) was very sad, she carried Lalanggarrany in a coolamon with the help of Crocodile’s maternal grandfather the Waving Lizard, ofJoongoorra skin. They were looking for water and after a long journey stopped in the shade of a large nyarndoo tree at a place called Merrewoon, while Darndal started to dig. Joongoorra was a greedy one, he pretended to cry, “Oh my thamanyji, wiyiri, wiyiri, wiyiri.” But as he cried he secretly ate the fat of the Crocodile from his wound. After digging for a long time, water started coming out of the ground like a tap. The greedy Lizard,Joongoorra,turned to stone. You can still see that stone inDarrajayin Country today. Darndal covered Lalangarrany and herself in gum from the tree they were camped under andLalanggarrany came back to life and dived straight into that water. Darndal followed her grandson into the water, and they lived there together.

 

---

---

Rockhole la Birnoowoon Country – Gordan Barney

This Rock hole is la Birnoowoon Country,

we use this rock hole for fishing we catchem moot moot there thats the pearch small but very good eating we picnic here with the whole family and even bogey (Bath) in this rock hole it was very deep.

Beautiful place my country.

 

Kija

Berrimbe gendewa dagoorlan birnoo gendang wiji ngerne

Yirrayinde goorndarrim burru nyirrega girrim

Yirramangginde moornmoorbe janggirrim.

---

---

Little Panton River

This is a painting of a paper bark tree on the banks of the Little Panton River (near Halls Creek) on Mary’s Country. The yellow part of the tree is the paper bark leaf. The Woorra Woorral uses the leaf to sweep up the sand on the banks of the river to clean, like a broom. The yellow represents the sand and the brown represents the country. You can’t see the face of the Woorra Woorral. They gave this painting to Mary in a dream. They look after the river.

---

---

Warlawoon Country

---

---

GREENVALE STATION – KATHY RAMSAY

This is that Greenvale now. Mum told me that that’s that Garrganny (water lily) place. They got a sharp rock there and all them pointy rocks. These can be seen located within the middle of the artwork

Kathy says “Them round circles, them digging holes from the old, old people. They went looking for them things now, bush potatoes.”

---

---

GIJA TRADITIONAL TOOLS

---

---

Purnululu

---

---

Living off the land – Bow River

In most of Kathy’s painting, the subject of her artwork depicts the country and landscapes of her mothers country called Bow River – which is also known to be called by its traditional name Juwulunji. 

In this painting Kathy has painted her mother and father together out on Bow River country, as seen here there are two people seen within the middle of her artwork, they both hold what appears to be digging sticks ” In the old days they use to go out looking and digging for echidna’s”

Her mother is described to be the women who sits on the ground and her father is the one seen standing up. The small white dots located just above the heads are what Kathy has describe as “all the blowflies” she says that when they are about and hanging around – this is a sign that the hairyman is near and watching. “Njoongoony (hairyman) he jelous for everything there la that country”

---

---

Warrambany Of Warrman

WAC ~ Paintings floating

---

---

GREENVALE STATION – KATHY RAMSAY

“This is that Greenvale now. Mum told me that that’s that Garrganny (water lily) place. They got a sharp rock there and all them pointy rocks.

Them round circles, them digging holes from the old, old people. They went looking for them things now, bush potatoes.”