Djan'kawu creation story

bottom: The first landing at Yalangbara (Port Bradshaw). The two Djan'kawu dig a well using the sacred mawalan (walking/digging sticks). The yellow rectangular area is a long stone alongside the well. Water is shown running out of the well. The black lines are human hair pendants attached to the mawalan.

lower left: Djan'kawu in the act of planting two sacred djuda trees near a small bay at the mouth of Yalangbara.

lower right: The Djan'kawu campsite. Scalloped area depicts rubbish and sand pushed back from the campsite. In the top left is a palm tree planted by Djan'kawu. The Djan'kawu are shown leaving and two goannas (djanda) taking over the site. Several rangga (ceremonial objects) are shown.

upper left: Another camp site where they leave their armbands with feathered pendants.

upper right: After crossing high sandhills they see the gadmura tree and hear the flying foxes in the tree.

top left: The goanna Djanda is digging in the sand hunting for food and is shown with its head in the hole. Djanda's tracks are shown to the right in the central division.

top right: Another camp site is shown here. Djan'kawu has seen the approaching dry season clouds and he is singing about them. Rangga including the sacred mawalan are shown in the sandhills.

The cross-hatching in this painting represents such aspects of the environment as different types of sand particularly beach sand and sandhills, etc.

© Information provided by the artist

Australian Art Department, AGNSW, 2000