July 2024

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Raypiny Dhawu (Fresh Water Story)

All Aboriginal people originate from a spiritual source, fixed in a particular place in their land or the sea. These ‘spiritual reservoirs’ are often in the form of special waterholes made by Wangarr (creative spirits) that were created long ago close to the beginning of time. These creator beings moved across the countryside, shaping the land and implanting in each tract of country, the spiritual life force for the people who were to own it. These creative spirits took many forms and when they gave the land to each group, they also gave songs, dances, ceremony, the associated laws and language.

The creation story for Ganalbingu people took place near the middle section of the Glyde River where it becomes the Goyder River. Their land, Ngaliyindi, sits astride the Arafura Swamp in Central Arnhem Land. Many Ganalbingu artists paint totemic species significant to their clan. These can include baru (crocodile), banda (long necked turtle), buliya (catfish), yalman (waterlilies), gumang (magpie geese), dakawa (fresh water yabby), ratjuk (barramundi), warrnyu (flying fox) and more.

In this painting, Dorothy has painted two crocodiles with their eggs, the Cape York lily, and water liles and their bulb. 

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Raypiny Dhawu (Fresh Water Story)

All Aboriginal people originate from a spiritual source, fixed in a particular place in their land or the sea. These ‘spiritual reservoirs’ are often in the form of special waterholes made by Wangarr (creative spirits) that were created long ago close to the beginning of time. These creator beings moved across the countryside, shaping the land and implanting in each tract of country, the spiritual life force for the people who were to own it. These creative spirits took many forms and when they gave the land to each group, they also gave songs, dances, ceremony, the associated laws and language.

 

The creation story for Ganalbingu people took place near the middle section of the Glyde River where it becomes the Goyder River. Their land, Ngaliyindi, sits astride the Arafura Swamp in Central Arnhem Land. Many Ganalbingu artists paint totemic species significant to their clan. These can include baru (crocodile), banda (long necked turtle), buliya (catfish), yalman (waterlilies), gumang (magpie geese), dakawa (fresh water yabby), ratjuk (barramundi), warrnyu (flying fox) and more.

 

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Pamatuka (Macassan pipe)

This style of pipe is known as bamatuka or lunginy in eastern Arnhem Land and is commonly referred to as a Macassan pipe. These pipes were only used by senior men and decorated with sacred clan designs or madayin minytji. The pipe was introduced by Makassans from southern Sulawesi in Indonesia who sailed annually to harvest the sea cucumber called trepang in Australia’s northern waters. Makassans came from at least the seventeenth century until the early 1900s and it is generally accepted that they introduced tobacco into Australia. The form is also said to closely resemble opium smoking pipes from South Asia, and in Makassar the plant was sometimes mixed with opium to provide the flavor that the opium-smoking experience lacked.

Summary taken from Museums Victoria Collections

https://collections.museumsvictoria.com.au/items/1131684

This version of the Pamatuka was hand crafted by Frankie Guninyirrnyirr and painted by Andrew Wanamilil Malibirr.

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Pamatuka (Macassan pipe)

This style of pipe is known as bamatuka or lunginy in eastern Arnhem Land and is commonly referred to as a Macassan pipe. These pipes were only used by senior men and decorated with sacred clan designs or madayin minytji. The pipe was introduced by Makassans from southern Sulawesi in Indonesia who sailed annually to harvest the sea cucumber called trepang in Australia’s northern waters. Makassans came from at least the seventeenth century until the early 1900s and it is generally accepted that they introduced tobacco into Australia. The form is also said to closely resemble opium smoking pipes from South Asia, and in Makassar the plant was sometimes mixed with opium to provide the flavor that the opium-smoking experience lacked.

Summary taken from Museums Victoria Collections

https://collections.museumsvictoria.com.au/items/1131684

This version of the Pamatuka was hand crafted by Frankie Guninyirrnyirr and painted by Andrew Wanamilil Malibirr.

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Wagilag ga Wititj Dhawu (Wagilag Sisters and Olive Python Story)

The Wagilag Sisters are central to the four important ceremonies of the Dhuwa moiety; the Djungguwan, the Gunabibi, the Ngulmarrk, and the Mandaialla.

The story is primarily an account of how, in the distant past, the two Wagilag Sisters came out of the southern interior and across the countryside to the Liyagalawumirr waterhole at Mirarrmina. There the younger sister profaned the pool of Wititj (the great Olive Python) by accidently allowing her blood to fall into the waterhole. Because of this, the women (and their children) were swallowed by Wititj.

All of the other sacred snakes stood up with their heads in the clouds and talked to each other with voices like thunder. The Pythons discovered that they had different languages and ‘skins’. Wititj confessed to eating the two women; his own moiety and fell to earth making a big depression in the ground. The big wind blew across the land making the first dry season. Wititj was ordered by the snakes to vomit the women and children back up. When he did this he also vomited up all the water from the waterhole, creating the monsoonal rains.

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Barramundi (Ratjuk)

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Nawarlah (Brown River Stingray)

Aboriginal art in Ramingining, Central Arnhem Land is commonly illustrated through designs and images of animals, plants, and landscape. These motifs commonly reflect the artists ancestral inheritance and their dreamings and are referred to as totems.

For this, Kylie has woven a stingray.

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Nawarlah (Brown River Stingray)

Aboriginal art in Ramingining, Central Arnhem Land is commonly illustrated through designs and images of animals, plants, and landscape. These motifs commonly reflect the artists ancestral inheritance and their dreamings and are referred to as totems.

For this, Kylie has woven a stingray.

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Nawarlah (Brown River Stingray)

Aboriginal art in Ramingining, Central Arnhem Land is commonly illustrated through designs and images of animals, plants, and landscape. These motifs commonly reflect the artists ancestral inheritance and their dreamings and are referred to as totems.

For this, Kylie has woven a stingray.

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Naku (canoe)