Family Connections: Ochres
Past exhibition
Barry Malgil
Darabuny (Gija Blue)
natural ochre and pigments on canvas
100 x 80 cm
832490
'This painting is about Darabuny, Gija Blue sink hole. Well we been told a dreaming story about Darabuny, that long time ago when Gija people would have mens ceremony out...
'This painting is about Darabuny, Gija Blue sink hole. Well we been told a dreaming story about Darabuny, that long time ago when Gija people would have mens ceremony out on Country. They were having ceremony close to where Darabuny is, well there were two boys that had finished ceremony. They were walking along chasing a wounded bird, they chased this bird a long way from where all the other men were. The bird was leading them away, he would land and when they got close to him he would fly further away to make them follow him.
When they got close to edge of Darabuny they were looking down into the hole to the water the bird bin fly up into the sky and become a cloud, from that cloud it started raining and then a snake appeared. This snake was the water snake that lives in Darabuny, it pushed them in and drowned them.
Thats why Gija people are a bit scared to go near Darbuny cause the water snake drowned those little boys there a long time ago.'
When they got close to edge of Darabuny they were looking down into the hole to the water the bird bin fly up into the sky and become a cloud, from that cloud it started raining and then a snake appeared. This snake was the water snake that lives in Darabuny, it pushed them in and drowned them.
Thats why Gija people are a bit scared to go near Darbuny cause the water snake drowned those little boys there a long time ago.'