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Jirraginy joo Goorrarndal: Frog and Brolga

Gawarra

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About this project In 2009, SharingStories Founder Liz Thompson began working with the Gija community, and Senior Gija Custodian Shirley Drill to record and document ‘Jirraginy joo Goorrarndal: Frog and Brolga’, an important Gija Creation story. The work returned young people to Country with Elders, to learn about important sites with students at Purnululu School creating accompanying art works for a print book. In 2017, SharingsStories returned to work with the Gija community and Purnululu School in an exciting creative collaboration both on Country and in the classroom. Over three years the original work grew into the rich, bilingual, animated interpretation of story and knowledge shared here.

Behind The Scenes Film

Full Credits

Behind the scenes

Purnululu School Junior Primary(Sophia Mung, Noah Bradshaw, Taison Carrington, Robert Bedford, Amelia Clifton Pinday, Jake Duncan, Lai Lorna Calwyn, Kiara Calwyn, Virginiah Malgil and Peter Dutchie.)

‘The best thing about being Gija is speaking language and learning culture. The Frog and Brolga story has a lesson in it. You shouldn’t steal water like the greedy Brolga. You gotta leave it for other people. She should have just gone for a swim in the waterhole but she ended up stealing it, so it was good when that Frog hit her with the boomerang.’

‘I’ve got to hold the story’s song for my grandkids. I can sing it for them and they can dance my grandfather’s corroboree Country song. It’s the same as when Slim Dusty sings about droving through the desert. We’ve got our way, corroboree, our song. This story tells the meaning of that Country, of Purnululu. I’ve walked all over that Country with my mum and dad when I was just a little boy and they taught me. I know all that Country. We would meet together and I used to see them singing and dancing about the Country. Those old people gave that story to us and when I’m in the Country, there I can feel that story. If we didn’t have that, I don’t think we’d be here.’

Betty Carrington

Xavier Malgil, Nigel Mosquito, and Frank Churchill

Purnululu School Primary Middle (girls)(Jezabel (Bella) Echo, Shanae Calwyn, Dessirani Bedford and Paiden Bray.)

Voices from the Gija community

Claire Drill

Patrick Mung Mung

Heather Drill

‘I grew up at Springvale Station and later I moved to our Country Gawarre in the Purnululu National Park. This is where I learnt the story of 'Jirraginy joo Goorrarndal: Frog and Brolga'. At Gawarre we were a long way from anywhere so we moved to Frog Hollow where I lived with some of my nine children and twelve grandchildren. It’s very important to teach the kids their culture. They’ve got to know the stories. Their family might pass away and then the kids can take over and remember what they’ve got from their grandmother. These kids will grow up to be big people and they can pass it on. They might still fight for this Country if they know the stories of this place.’

‘I’m retired now but I was a language teacher for a long time, since 1979. I learnt to write Gija when I was teaching, but I didn’t lose my language. I didn’t lose my Gija. In the early days at Warmun we had nothing in the community. We stayed in tents. I used to go down the creek and carry back water with a yoke to water the plants and trees. The old people used to do their painting at the school and would tell the kids the stories in the paintings of the Country. I used to sit down and the old people would tell me Ngarranggarni (Dreaming), they said, “you got to keep this up. You got to keep the language going when we gone.” And they told stories of that bloodwood tree there, where one of them old ladies was chained and whipped for speaking language. We want the kids to learn the language because when we’re gone, they’ll be able to just keep going. We don’t want them to lose it. Most of the older kids don’t speak it but we’re teaching it to the little ones, so they’ll speak it when they’re older.’

‘I want to learn stories from my old people. Those stories teach me about my Country. The Brolga dropped that coolamon and later came down and ate the Frog and flew away. I saw that story in the Country when I went there with my nana, Shirley.’

‘I am a media worker, recording stories, Dreamtime stories with the people here in Warmun. The job is so interesting and it helps me to learn more about our stories, culture and Country. There should be more learning, more stories being taught from all over our Gija Country and other Aboriginal mobs too. Everybody is different and has different stories, corrobborees, different ways of doing things, and different welcomes.It is wonderful, really great what the kids have made here. The work is inspiring and can help them to become a storyteller or media worker themselves. I think it is important to everyone to keep learning more through our stories.’

Shirley Drill

Mitchell Drill

Dolorosa Carrington

‘Our two families are connected through this old man in the photo. All us Gija people are connected in some way.’

'My great-great grandmother took me up on top of the hill and she showed me that waterhole where Brolga took all the water in a coolamon. One day I can show my little kids and be proud that my great-great grandmother took me there.'

Shirley Purdie

‘My favourite part of the movie is the shadow screen. I like being the animals. I was Red Leg, the bird in the story.‘

Shanniel McGinty

‘Making The Frog and Brolga was too much fun. Stories like that one are important for us - Gija stories, you know. That’s what we gotta do to keep them stories. It feels good to be Gija. We have our culture and we’re learning the language at school, but the old people teach us too. They’ve got a lot of knowledge.’

Vicky Bin Rashid and Julia Mung pictured with Jane Butters, Paul Butters and Beryline Mung (Yingenybawoorroo Butters)

‘I can’t talk for that Gawarre Country; only she (Shirley Drill) can. We can only talk for our own Country. Some Gija people can talk for Balinyin (Springvale area). Some people can talk for Binoowoo (Alice Downs area), I can talk for Mabel Downs area. We have got to talk for our own part of Country. ’ We can’t all talk for the Gawarre area. ’

‘I was Hornet in the Frog and Brolga story. I sat around drinking water and then buzzed all around after I found out the water was all gone. I was in front of that green material—the green screen, it’s called—and then went inside the animation. Camping out on Country is the best. We play out there. All kinds of games, like football and some other ones. When we were out at Gawarre we took pictures of the water and trees on the iPads, then we drew the trees and put the drawings into the animation too.’

Wayne (Buggs) Hughes (with Taison Carrington)

Purnululu School Middle Primary (Boys)(Taurence Bradshaw, Adam Carrington, Patrick Nungatcha, Jayvon Mung.)

‘When we're cruisin’ down the street, we say “hey, hey from W.A”. Can’t stay. We from Frog Hollow, We just rap today. Come today, we’ll show you the way. Where my boss, what’s up? Hit the back track to Frog Hollow Creek everyday, every week It’s the Frog Hollow way. I’m sitting here today. Listening to the old people. Cause that’s our way. And when the thunder comes we listen to the rain. In the dry season we hunt for a reason. It’s freezing in the cold season, are you believin?’

‘Ngarranggarni (the great Dreamtime spirit) comes from the old people. We pass it on to the younger generation, so they can give our culture life in the future.’

‘We like going out to Gawarre. There’s good fishing out there. It’s a deadly place, our Country. The best fish is bream or maybe barramundi. You got to make a fire when you cook the bream. You wait until the fire has stopped and wrap it up in foil and put it on the coals — that’s the best way to cook it.’

Eileen Bray

‘I love my Country. Gawarre is my favourite spot. I went to the first Purnululu Independent School which my mother and granny helped to start. Now I take care of my Country, I work for the Gija Rangers. In the cold weather we go to the Bungles Bungles and right back to Doon Doon to do fire burning, look for weeds and kill them to protect the native plants and animals. We also have to keep the grass and scrub down around sacred sites to keep it clean and respect the knowledge and ancestors there. We do it here at the Bungle Bungles and also all over that Country. My father was a ranger manager at the Bungle Bungles and now I’m doing it for my future, for everyone’s future. I feel like I’m on top because I love my job.’

David Mosquito, Rammika Gallagher, Liddia Mosquito, Allan Bin Rashid, Julia Mung and Vicky Bin Rashid

Executive Producer

Art Supplies Sponsor Mercurius Australia Media Software Sponsor Adobe

Gija Interactive Panel and Animated Story Credits

Delivery Partners

Funding Partners

Creative Director and Storyteller Shirley Drill Creative Director and Producer Taz Miller Design and Lead Animator Isobel Knowles Lead Sound Designer Missi Mel Pesa Video Production and Performance Facilitator Glen Maw Sound Facilitator Daen Sansbury-Smith Original Story Development and Artwork Facilitator Liz Thompson Translator Frances Kofod and Shirley Drill Narrator Language Sophia Mung Interactivity Development Van Sowerwine Interactivity Advisor Snow Community facilitators Corrie Baxter, Paul Butters, Bessie Daylight, Zoe O’Hara Production Assistant Brooke Small Gawarre Map Presenters  Shirley Drill, Josephine Drill, Eileen Bray and Sophia Mung. Supported by Tarisha McGinty   2017 Illustrators, Animations, Sound Design, Performances  Dessirani Bedford, Robert Bedford, Allan Bin Rashid, Vicky Bin Rashid, Noah Bradshaw, Quentin Bradshaw, Taurence Bradshaw, Paiden Bray, Ronald Carlton, Shanae Calwyn, Kiara Calwyn, Adam Carrington, Taison Carrington, Anthony Clifton, Ezra Clifton, Jah’Lae Clifton, Jah’MehaI Clifton, O’Marion Clifton, Amelia Clifton Pinday, Frank Churchill, Isaac Churchill, Taelin Churchill, Jake Duncan, Peter Dutchie, Brianna Drill, Ashanti Echo, Jezabel Echo, Patrick Echo, Patrick Gallagher, Rammika Gallagher, Darius Griffiths, Wayne (Buggs) Hughes, Jefrina Lewis, Couben Malay, Latoya Malay, Virginiah Malgil, Xavier Malgil, Edward McCoombe, Potay McGinty, Shanneill McGinty, Clint McKenzie, David Mosquito, Liddia Mosquito, Nigel Mosquito, Jayvon Mung, Julia Mung, Yingenybawoorroo Mung, Darren Munroe, Patrick Nungatcha, Shiloh Ngerdu, Lenyx Palacious, Shannon Scott, Braiden Till, Andrea Umbulgari, Myles Wilson  Our Community Voice Contributors  Claire Drill, Betty Carrington, Heather Drill, Mitchell Drill, Berylene Mung, Sophia Mung, Dolorosa Carrington, Adam Carrington, Allan Bin Rashid, Amelia Clifton Pinday, David Mosquito, Dessirani Bedford, Frank Churchill, Jake Duncan, Jayvon Mung, Jezabel (Bella) Echo, Julia Mung, Kiara Calwyn, Lai Lorna, Liddia Mosquito, Nigel Mosquito, Noah Bradshaw, Paiden Bray, Patrick Malgi, Patrick Nungatcha, Peter Dutchie, Rammika Gallagher, Robert Bedford, Shanae Calwyn, Shanneill McGinty, Shannon (Junior) Scott, Taison Carrington, Taurence Bradshaw, Vicky Bin Rashid, Virginiah Malgil, Wayne (Buggs) Hughes, Xavier Malgil  2009 Illustrators  Claire Drill, Mitchell Drill, Sharliette Drill, Wally Drill, Billy Mae Gunn and Mona Bin Rashid.   Gawarre Creation song Performed By   Gawarre Traditional Owner - Yingenybawoorroo Thomas  The images, illustrations, stories and depictions in this material embody the traditional knowledge of Senior Gija Cultural Custodian Shirley Drill.  This material has been created with the consent of the senior custodians of the community. Dealing with any part of this material for any purpose that has not been authorised by the custodians is a serious breach of customary law of the Gija community and may also breach the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth).    For enquires about permitted reproduction or use of this material please contact info@sharingstories.com.au

This online platform is an adaptation of the  'Jirraginy joo Goorrarndal: Frog and Brolga' interactive panel  on permanent display at The WA Museum Boola Bardip.  This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council for the Arts,  its arts funding and advisory body.

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Jirraginy joo Goorrarndal: Frog and Brolga A Gija Creation story

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Jirraginy joo Goorrarndal:  Frog and Brolga A Gija Creation story

Gawarre (Bungle Bungles)

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About this project

In 2009, SharingStories Founder Liz Thompson began working with the Gija community, and Senior Gija Custodian Shirley Drill to record and document ‘Jirraginy joo Goorrarndal: Frog and Brolga’, an important Gija Creation story. The work returned young people to Country with Elders, to learn about important sites with students at Purnululu School creating accompanying art works for a print book. In 2017, SharingsStories returned to work with the Gija community and Purnululu School in an exciting creative collaboration both on Country and in the classroom. Over three years the original work grew into the rich, bilingual, animated interpretation of story and knowledge shared here.

Shirley Drill and the Gija Community would really love to hear from everyone who made a connection with this project. What did you learn or what inspired or moved you? Please send through a public or private message by clicking on the button.

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“Thank you for sharing your story, it means a lot to learn about Gija Country.” - Isobel Knowles, writing from Wurundjeri Country  “I visited the Bungle Bungles as a kid and it’s wonderful to learn about those beautiful mountains through this story.“ -writing from Wajuk Country

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This online platform is an adaptation of the  'Jirraginy joo Goorrarndal: Frog and Brolga' interactive panel on permanent display at  The WA Museum Boola Bardip.  This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council for the Arts, its arts funding and advisory body.

This online interactive experience of the Gija Creation story ‘Jirraginy joo Goorrarndal: Frog and Brolga’ is an adaptation of the permanent interactive display panel situated in The WA Museum’s Boola Bardip Origins Gallery, created by the Gija community in collaboration with SharingStories Foundation. In this online adaptation, Custodians welcome you to Country and invite you to explore their cultural customs, watch animations of the Creation story, hear language and visit special sites to gain an understanding of Gija culture.  Community leaders proudly and continuously work with the younger generations in the preservation and revival of language, stories and cultural customs. This cultural and artistic expression is an attempt to share important cultural knowledge with online audiences. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware that this website may contain images, voices or names of deceased persons in photographs, film, audio recordings or printed material.