How Dolphins Came About

This story is told by Lewis Cook – a Bundjalung man born in 1932.

Aboriginal knowledge holders for this local area have consented to share this story with you. Please remember that creation stories are a precious cultural resource specifically linked to the process of understanding and caring for Country.

The content of the story must remain unchanged and is best told in context on Country.

It should also be recognised that different versions of the story may apply at different locations.

This is a version appropriate for this section of the Ballina coastline.

ABOUT THIS STORY

This story is an explanation of Aboriginal belief for the close cultural association and relationship people had (and continue to have) with dolphins.

A long time ago in ancient times our people were camping along the river in Bullinah [Ballina]. The women went into the bush gathering food and the men went hunting with their spears.

An elderly woman stayed behind to look after the children. Hours had passed the jarjums [children] and dubaynar [young women] were playing and fishing. Soon the meerong [old woman] fell asleep.

A gibar [young man] from the southern banks of the river saw a young woman that he wanted for a wife. He paddled across the river in his canoe and stole the girl. The other children started to scream and cry. The old woman woke up. The young man was almost half way across the river.

The old woman ran to the waters edge started to chant and sing, a huge wind began to blow. The waters became rough, causing huge waves that overturned the canoe in the river.

Now the old lady was afraid she might drown. The couple and her family will get angry with her. So she cast a spell to save them from drowning. From underneath the canoe two dolphins emerged and the canoe changed into the sand bank in the middle of the river.

Throughout the years two dolphins have always been seen in the river together. Since then our mob were helped by dolphins when fishing. The dolphins often herd schools of fish to the river’s banks for our people to gather, or forced them to hop into our boats.