¤ Platypus Dreaming  ¤ Murrundindi and his people  ¤ Thank you  ¤ Contact

A collection of timeless Dreamtime Stories and Singing of the Wurundjeri Aboriginal People, Yarra Yarra Tribe, of Victoria. These are told and performed by Aboriginal Elder, Murrundindi. "My work is to follow in the footsteps of my ancestors by sharing the culture and history of the Yarra Yarra people through traditional dancing, dreamtime stories, music, artifacts, photographs and through our language as spoken in the Dreamtime.

I hope that you enjoy this, my first CD recording of some of the songs and stories of my people."

Contents

1. The Tale of Gwonawah & Wattarang
   Gwonawah and Wattarang are the Wurundjeri names of the native animals. As you listen to this story, can you work out what animals they are?
2. The Two White Swans
   A story with great local significance, it refers to places, plants and animals in the vicinity of Melbourne. It also mentions the Coranderrk Bushland - traditional sacred land of the Wurundjeri people.
3. Good Morning
   A song Murrundindi learnt as a boy from his mother. It is a great one to sing along to - just as the students of Strathcona school did in this recording.
4. Bungil, Mindi & Googah
   A very important story as it relates to Wurundjeri perspectives of the creation of the animals, and of the world in general. Indeed, it signifies much of the spiritual foundation that influenced the Wurundjeri people's way of viewing their existence.
5. Garook - The Little Dancing Girl
   Aboriginal people, with their exceptional powers of observation, were able to notice tiny details regarding the appearance and behaviour of animals. These observations would often be turned into delightful stories like this one.
6. Wandit Kundawah
   This title means 'Come and listen and join us'. Another participation song, it's a happy song to bring all of the people of the world together. Murrundindi is joined (in order) by the students of Camberwell Grammar, St Augustine's, Our Lady of Fatima and Strathcona schools.