Online Store

Description

Billy Doolan
Brolga Dreaming, 2009
(Diptych) 198 x 122cm (each panel),
Acrylic on canvas

This story has its origins in Billy’s Great Grandmonther’s Country near Georgetown in far North Queensland, which is the Gwamin language group.

Bralga was a young Aboriginal girl who in refused to collect food with the other women. Instead, she preferred to stay at the camp site and dance all day. The old women were first amused by her dancing ability as she moved with such grace and skill, but eventually they grew tired of her laziness, and warned that if she did not work they’d have to take action. The young girl did not heed the warning so the old women went to see the Clever Man or ‘witchdoctor’ asking him to use his back magic to punish her. He made his spell and transformed her into a long legged bird which we today know as Brolga.