Story telling is an integral part of the Australian Aboriginal People. The stories tell how the land came to be shaped and inhabited, how to behave and why; where to find certain foods, etc.

Each Aboriginal group has a story teller, whom has been appointed as the "custodian" of the stories of that people. We have selected just a few Aboriginal Stories for you to read and to help you understand the origins of the Aboriginal culture.

• The Milky Way and the Seven Sisters Dreaming



• The Yawk Yawk Dreamtime Legend



• Witchety Grub Dreaming

The Milky Way is a place with many landmarks for the aboriginal people. The stars and the night sky are used as ceremonial time pieces and as a compass to guide them on their journeys across their lands.

They were the mythylogical sisters of the Tjukurrpa (Dreaming). Today they can still be seen wandering across the night sky as the constelation Pleiades. The Seven Sisters are being pursued by a Jakamarra man (the Morning star in Orion's belt).In this picture the seven sisters are depicted as the group of stars and jakamarra was once a man who chased the women relentlessly, always seeking their favours.

In an attempt to finally escape, the women turn into fire and ascend to the heavens to become stars. To this day when you look to the sky you will see Jakamarra still in pursuit of the sisters.

Back in creation time the Wandjina created all and placed certain Spirits in every thing and place. He gave Laws to these spirits and each spirit certain powers to make the aboriginal people obey his laws. The yawk yawk water spirits were left in places where people and animals came to drink. They were given the power to bring on new life, Storms, Floods and even droughts depending on how the people obeyed the Wandjinas laws.

They were given certain animal totems to feed the people such as fish, turtle and every other creature that lives in water. He made it Law that he who drinks water takes Yawk Yawk Spirit which gives new life. Yawk Yawk create rain and new life. Without Yawk Yawk all would die.

This painting depicts the different kinds of Bushtucker found in outback Australia. In the centre of the painting the white design within the circle depict the witchety grubs, the larval stage of a moth, considered a delicacy food by Central Desert Aboriginals. The circle also represents the circle of life itself. Surrounding them is the root system of the witchety tree Acacia Kempeana, where the grubs are found. The outer edges of the painting illustrate the Bush Banana plant with its radiating vines called Langua.

Most of the Bush Banana vine is used by Aboriginals to make medicine and as an edible bush fruit. The Bush tucker dreaming painting also depicts other bush tucker like honey ants which are found by digging deep into sandy ground by Aboriginal Women with their digging sticks and collecting them in their coolamons and taking them back to camp to share with their families. The honey ant is a nutritious source of vitamins for aboriginals and is far sweeter than normal bees honey.

The Bush Banana Plant