307
Mount Elephant, a landmark in the
Goldfields region of Victoria, is said
by the Tyakoort Wooroong people to
be the body of a man turned into stone
after a bloody fightsaw an old woman, Gumuk Winga,
with an empty coolamon (carrying
vessel). The old woman appeared
hungry, so Baiame suggested that
she go search for yams. Picking up
her digging stick, the old woman
set out, accompanied by her dog.
Gumuk Winga walked and walked,
but could not find any yams. As
time went on, she became weary
and slowed down, dragging her
digging stick through the earth.
Day had turned to night, but still
there was no sign of any yams.
Baiame waited for Gumuk
Winga, but she did not return.
Eventually the spirit summoned the
Rainbow Serpent, who was
sleeping beneath the earth, and
asked him to search for the old
woman and bring her back safely.
Almudj set off, following the marks
left by the old woman’s digging
stick. The snake’s body moved
gracefully across the land, leaving
deep crevices in the hills andvalleys. The rainbow colors from
Baiame’s body covered the trees,
plants, birds, butterflies, and all
other creatures.
All of a sudden, Baiame called
out loudly. Thunder cracked,
lightning flashed across the sky,
and rain fell. It rained for days, and
the crevices left by Almudj filled up
with water. When the rain stopped
and the mist cleared, the Murray
River—called Dungala by the Yorta
Yorta people—was formed.Battle of the mountains
The Tyakoort Woorrong people
of southwestern Victoria have
another story about how the
landscape around them was
created. They relate that the area’s
two most prominent mountains,
Mount Elephant and Mount
Buninyong, were once men.
Elephant had a stone axe, which
Buninyong coveted. When
Buninyong offered some goldOCEANIA
in exchange for the axe, Elephant
accepted. The two men met at
present-day Pitfield Diggings
(a former mining site southwest
of Ballarat) and made the swap.
Later, however, Buninyong
decided that he no longer needed
the axe and wanted to get back
his gold. When Elephant refused
to return it, Buninyong challenged
him to a duel at the same spot
where they had met.
No sooner had the fight got
underway than Elephant put his
spear through Buninyong’s side.
Moments later, however, Buninyong
struck Elephant’s head with his
stone axe. The two wounded men
staggered off in opposite directions
and soon both died. Their bodies
turned into mountains. On the
side of Mount Buninyong, a hole
symbolizes the cut made with
Elephant’s spear, while another
hole on the top of Mount Elephant
represents Buninyong’s deadly
blow to Elephant’s head. ■The elders guard the Law
and the Law guards the
people. This is the Law that
comes from the mountain.
The mountain teaches
the Dreaming.
Guboo Ted Thomas
Aboriginal leader (1909–2002)US_302-307_The-Dreaming.indd 307 06/12/17 3:01 pm