2020-03-01_Australian_Geographic

March. April 31

GEOBUZZ

M

ENTION THE New South

Wales Southern Highlands

and most people think of

rolling hills, Devonshire teas and stores

peddling antiques. But a large number

of historical reports suggest that the

quaint highlands’ village of Burrawang,

140km south-west of Sydney, should

also conjure thoughts of bunyips.

In the valley below is a large swamp

that’s home to many unusual life forms

including the rare giant dragonfl y,

part of an ancient group of insect fl iers

common during the age of the dino-

saurs. Also supposedly lurking in the

swamp’s murky depths is the Burrawang

Bunyip, a mythical creature whose

roar, according to multiple anecdotes,

has sent shivers up many local spines.

Unlike most bunyips, which have roots

in Dreaming stories, this Burrawang

specimen is a more modern marvel.

During the early 1930s a group of

railway workers fl ed in horror aft er

hearing strange noises they believed to

be a bunyip, coming from the swamp.

Maybe they wanted an excuse for

having the next day off , or had spent too

long at the pub earlier in the night.

The Burrawang Bunyip was at its

most ferocious during the 1960s when

its “bull-like roar” was oft en heard

echoing around the swamp. “The roar

was so loud it shook the bottles off the

top shelf of the bar,” recalls Ed Woolfrey,

former publican at Burrawang’s pub.

But, somewhat tellingly, the bunyip

hasn’t been heard since part of the

swamp was dammed in 1974, giving

rise to theories that the infamous

bellow actually came from the swamp’s

peat. (The swamp is one of the best

examples in mainland Australia of

montane peatland, which expands and

contracts with changing temperatures.)

So much for what a bunyip sup-

posedly sounds like. What does it look

like? Ask 10 people and you’ll get 10

diff erent descriptions. Most accounts

describe it as being like a feathered

seal with legs. Other anecdotes are

even more outlandish, portraying it as

an amphibious fl ying creature, sporting

a long cyclops-like horn. Really!

In 1847 a ‘bunyip skull’ was exhib-

ited at the Sydney Museum, now the

Australian Museum. Prominent natu-

ralist William Macleay examined the

odd-looking relic and compared it with

an even stranger one with only one eye

socket. He concluded that rather than

being a new species, both skulls were

freaks of nature – one was a deformed

camel and the other a deformed foal.

Whatever its origins, the bunyip has

become part of our European folklore

and features in many classic Australian

children’s books such as The Bunyip of

Berkeley’s Creek, byJenny Wagner and

Ron Brooks (Picture Puffi n, 1978) and

Michael Salmon’s The Monster That Ate

Canberra (Halstead Press, 1972).

In 1994 Australia Post issued The

Bunyip Set Fine Mint stamps. And in

2001 the National Library of Australia

chronicled sightings of the bunyip in

a travelling exhibition. But if you want

to experience a bunyip at its bellowing

best, head for Murray Bridge in South

Australia. There, if you drop some

coins in a slot, a mechanical bunyip will

emerge from a concrete cave and roar.

Whether its call is as loud as its

Burrawang cousin, we’ll never know.

THE CASE OF THE ROARING BUNYIP

TIM THE YOWIE MAN

AS PART OF nationwide com-

memorations, the Australian War

Memorial will host the national

ceremony, beginning at 10.30am.

It will follow the traditional order

of service, including the veterans’

march coordinated by the ACT

branch of the Returned and

Services League of Australia

and will be broadcast live on the

Memorial’s Facebook page and

YouTube channel. For more info:

email [email protected]

For commemorative events near

you, check with your local council.

ANZAC DAY

NATIONAL CEREMONY

25 April

Australian War Memorial,

Canberra, ACT

THIS FIRST of the AG Presents

talks for 2020 will feature coura-

geous, inspirational advocates for

the sea. Hear from multi-award

winning underwater fi lmmaker

Valerie Taylor, as she inspires with

tales of her adventures. Relive

a wild journey with AG’s 2019

Adventurer of the Year, Michelle

Lee – the fi rst Australian woman

to row solo across the Atlantic

Ocean – and much more.

Info: oceanloversfestival.com

AG PRESENTS

EVENT

EVENT

PHOTO CREDIT: OLIVER STREWEILLUSTRATION BY BEN SANDERS

18 March, Ocean Lovers

Festival, Bondi, NSW

EARTH HOUR

EVENT

NOW WORLDWIDE, this event

that began in Australia in 2007

asks individuals and businesses to

reduce global energy use by shut-

ting down non-essential electric

lighting for 60 minutes each year.

Will you accept the challenge?

28 March, nationwide,

8.30pm local time

To read about Tim’s recent travels in western

NSW see page 72. As a naturalist, author,

broadcaster and tour guide, Tim has dedicated

the past 25 years to documenting Australia’s

unusual natural phenomena. He’s written several

books, including Haunted and Mysterious

Australia (New Holland, 2018). Follow him on

Facebook and Twitter: @TimYowie