Francis Firebrace Official Website
"Gadi Mirrabooka"
Stories from the Dreaming
Collected and arranged by Helen McKay.
30 Aboriginal Stories
by Pauline E. Campbell-McLeod, Francis Firebrace, and
June E. Barker
Illustrations by
Pauline E Campbell-Mcleod, Francis Firebrace.
Photography by Jutta Malnic
Gadi Mirrabooka, which means Below the Southern Cross, contains thirty Dreaming stories from the Australian aboriginal culture, recognised as the oldest culture on earth.
The stories in this collection are told by Aboriginal storytellers, unlike many other collections of aboriginal
stories. In the past, people have gathered and published books of aboriginal stories, regardless of whether they
are secret or for public use, usually without seeking permission. In many cases, a number of these stories were
altered, or sanitized to suit the prevailing sensitivities and values of that era. This deeply offended the aboriginal
people.
The storytellers, who have shared stories for Gadi Mirrabooka, are all respected Aboriginal cultural educators,
who use their knowledge to educate their younger generation, as well as, the wider Australian community. The stories
have not been altered or sanitized for specific audiences, but are authentic oral stories, passed down through
many generations. All have been approved for public telling.
The Dreamtime, which is the period of creation, change and learning, where the very essence of human nature came
to be understood, is known to the Aboriginal people as the Dreaming. The lessons of this period of enlightenment
- the ability to live in peace and harmony with all around you - are encapsulated within the Dreaming and passed
on to the next generation in the oral tradition.
Dreamtime is a word first used by an anthropologist in the early 1900's, to define what he saw as a religion. He
used this word to describe the all-encompassing mystical period of aboriginal beginning.
However, the Aboriginal people do not worship any single Deity or other Gods. They built no monoliths, memorials
or idols, nor did they have an organized religion. They lived by the lores of the various Creator and Ancestral
Spirits of the diverse landscapes, the sky, the creatures and plants of Australia.
Link to Australian Storytelling Guild NSW Inc
Copyright(c) 2000 Firebrace Dreaming . All rights reserved
