Another name for this shy yet common owl is Boobook. Mopoke is another interpretation of its call, which sounds very mournful and forlorn. Aboriginal Dreaming lore attributes the Owl’s call to a bad tempered, selfish man who refused to share his ample possessions with the Great Spirit who was walking …
Mosquito
The tiny buzz of a mosquito mantra is loud enough to keep many sleepless! The great Aussie mozzie is a carrier of some unique Australian viruses, including Ross River Fever and Dengue Fever. Mosquitoes need water to lay their eggs and for their larvae to survive. In fact Mosquito goes …
Native Cat
There are two native cats, both carnivores and both uncommon – the native cat (or quoll) and the tiger cat. Both are tenacious, ferocious predators. The native cat especially, has been known to become so over-excited by killing, that he will hang onto his victims and risk being caught rather …
Opal
The penultimate Dreaming, and the one that propelled me on my spirit quest, Opal bodes the return of the Great Spirit, its rainbow colours representing the bridge from which he descends from the heavens to the earth and back again. The creator, who had taught the people their tribal law …
Owl
Nocturnal birds of prey, owls universally symbolise the powers of night, mystery, and wisdom. In Aboriginal culture, owls were often a kobong (similar in concept to totemism) for women as a whole. One Dreaming accounts for Owl’s distinctive large eyes. Owl and Cyclone were two men who shared a camp …
Paperbark Tree
A ‘womens’ business’ plant, the paperbark tree is familiar to most Australians. The soft bark peels off from the trunk in sheets, which can be used during menstruation, during and after childbirth and for physical injury where there is bleeding. Women would birth with the baby being born onto a …
Pee Wee
The beautiful Mud Lark or PeeWee, handsomely dressed up for a formal dinner, is a smaller, slightly different version to his cousin the Magpie. These birds will vigorously defend their mud-constructed nests, which are prone to collapse during heavy wet weather when the young may fall out. Pee Wees will …
Platypus
The platypus is a well-known curiosity of Australia, and is surprisingly related to the echidna. Platypus has fur like an animal, lays eggs like a lizard or bird, has a soft leathery beak, webbed feet like a water bird, and swims like a fish – in fact, Platypus was originally …
Possum
These nocturnal creatures live in trees or maybe in your roof! It’s quite exciting to go possum spotting at night with a torch in the bush as a child and it’s something most young Australian country people have done. Possum’s large eyes have adapted to night vision and most possums …
Rainbow
Rainbows are fascinating, ephemeral beauty. A bridge to Heaven, a sign from Spirit, a blessing… without the rain there is no rainbow… wonderful, wonderful rainbows! A Dreaming symbol of the Rainbow Serpent, as well as a symbol in Western Australia of the Great Spirit’s promise to return to earth, the …