WEST KIMBERLEY PLACE REPORT - Department of Sustainability ...

Bloomfield River region of north Queensland for thousands of years. According to the
Koko-Yalungu, the chief dwelling place of the yero is in a long, deep stretch of water
just above 'The Roaring Meg' falls. During times of flood, the large volume of water
going over the falls creates a rainbow – said to be a visual expression of the Rainbow
Serpent. In the Daintree River area, McConnel (1930) found that the traditions
associated with the Rainbow Serpent had already faded from memory.
Four contiguous and distinctive expressions of the Rainbow Serpent in a single
freshwater hydrological system
The Fitzroy River encompasses four contiguous and distinctive freshwater-based
Aboriginal cultural and ecological domains, focused upon the tradition of the
Rainbow Serpent, as exemplified by the cults of Woonyoomboo-Yoongoorroonkoo,
Galaroo, Wanjina-Wunggurr, and the jila-kalpurtu cultural systems. Each tradition is
intrinsically tied to Indigenous interpretations of the different way in which water
flows within the one hydrological system, and all four expressions converge into one
regional ritual complex, called Warloongarriy Law or 'River Law' that serves to unite
Aboriginal people and their Rainbow Serpent Traditions.
The Woonyoomboo-Yoongoorroonkoo narrative is associated with the flood plains
and wetlands of the lower Fitzroy River, while Galaroo is connected to the gorges, the
permanent waterholes which characterise the Fitzroy River in the dry season, and the
karst system of the middle to upper reaches of the river. The region of the Wanjina-
Wunggurr is roughly bounded by the King Leopold Ranges, the Drysdale River and
the sea and thus includes the ranges of the Kimberley crumple zone, the permanently
flowing waters of the rivers that course through these ranges, and the islands and
peninsulas of the Kimberley coast. The jila-kalpurtu cultural system, on the other
hand, is synonymous with the semi arid hinterlands of the southern Fitzroy River
basin, which mark the transition zone between the primarily surface-watered drainage
of the Fitzroy and aquifer-dominated arid environment of the Great Sandy Desert – an
immense area of uncoordinated drainage. Both the Wanjina–Wunggurr and the jilakalpurtu
cultural systems extend beyond the drainage system of the Fitzroy River,
particularly in the case of the jila-kalpartu system, which extends south into the Great
Sandy Desert region.
The upper reaches of the central drainage channel of the Fitzroy River (including the
Margaret River and Mt Pierre Creek) flows through an area in which the Rainbow
Serpent is known as Galaroo (Galuru, Kaleru). The Gooniyandi, Bunuba and Kija
speakers comprise the principal observers of the Galaroo tradition. In this area,
Galaroo is credited with amongst other things, the creation of the rivers and
permanent water sources and is said to be present in watery locations. Galaroo is
linked to the flooding of the river and the creation of rain, clouds and wind. While
painted rock art, including motifs of an 'All Father' being are found in this area, the
distinctive practice of re-painting these images to make rain and increase species, as
occurs in the Wanjina-Wunggurr homeland to the north is largely absent in the lands
of Galaroo (Vachon 2006, 341). According to Kaberry (1935) Playford (1960) and
Capell (1971) rain-making is associated with the use of 'rain stones'. Kaberry (1939,
207) notes that amongst the Gooniyandi, a 'single headman' takes stones linked to
Kaleru, breaks them up, wraps them in grass and puts them in a waterhole. In
addition, Kaberry notes that Kaleru can only be approached by older men and women
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