The Concept of Creation in Aboriginal Communities: Stories from Victoria, Australia, and Beyond
Creation stories are central to Indigenous cultures worldwide, providing frameworks for identity, law, spirituality, and connection to land. For Aboriginal peoples of Victoria, creation is not a distant myth but an ongoing relationship between Ancestral Beings, Country, and people (Rose, 1996). These stories explain the origins of landforms, waters, animals, and the laws that guide human behaviour (Broome, 2005; Clark, 1995). Unlike many Western narratives that emphasise a single linear event, Aboriginal creation stories are cyclical and continuing, embedding people in Country and outlining responsibilities for care of land and community (Rose, 1996; Reynolds, 1987).
Creation in Victorian Aboriginal Communities
Bunjil the Eagle
Among the Wadawurrung, Wurundjeri, and other Kulin Nations, Bunjil the wedge-tailed eagle is the creator and lawgiver who shaped mountains, rivers, plants, and animals, and gave rules for kinship, marriage, and care for Country (Broome, 2005). After completing his work, Bunjil rose to the sky and continues to watch over his people, with places such as Lal Lal Falls remembered as sites of ceremony and teaching (Rose, 1996; Broome, 2005).
The Creation of the Yarra River
Wurundjeri stories tell how the Yarra (Birrarung) was formed when ancestral beings carved channels through the land; the river’s curves and rapids embody their power and remind people of obligations to protect its waters (Broome, 2005; Rose, 1996).
Gunditjmara and Budj Bim
On Gunditjmara Country, the ancestral volcano Budj Bim erupted, creating lava flows and waterways that became the foundation for long-lived eel-farming systems of channels and weirs (Flood, 1997; UNESCO, 2019). The Budj Bim story is simultaneously a creation narrative and a living economic and cultural practice, now internationally recognised through UNESCO World Heritage listing (UNESCO, 2019).
Taungurung and Creation of the Goulburn
Taungurung narratives describe ancestral beings shaping the Goulburn River and surrounding ranges, encoding both geography and spiritual law for Taungurung Country (Clark, 1995).
Themes in Victorian Creation Stories
Connection to Landforms — mountains, rivers, caves, and waterfalls are direct embodiments of ancestral creation (Rose, 1996).
Law and Responsibility — creation is inseparable from instructions for living: kinship rules, ceremony, and care for Country (Reynolds, 1987; Broome, 2005).
Ongoing Presence — ancestral beings such as Bunjil remain present in land and sky, continuing to guide communities (Rose, 1996).
Creation Stories Across Australia
Rainbow Serpent
Across northern and central Australia, the Rainbow Serpent created rivers, waterholes, and mountains, bringing life and enforcing law (Flood, 1997; Rose, 1996).
Dingo and Ancestors
In parts of New South Wales, dingo ancestors helped shape Country and brought fire, expressing kinship between humans and animals (Flood, 1997).
Western Desert Songlines
In the Western Desert, songlines recount the journeys of ancestral beings; singing and walking these tracks re-create the world and maintain its balance (Rose, 1996; Flood, 1997).
Global Indigenous Creation Narratives
Māori of Aotearoa (New Zealand)
Māori narratives describe the separation of Ranginui (Sky Father) and Papatūānuku (Earth Mother) by their children, bringing light but also moral tension into the world (Orbell, 1995).
Native Americans
Among the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois), Sky Woman falls from the sky and land is formed on the back of a turtle — Turtle Island — emphasising interdependence between humans, animals, and Earth (Parker, 1916).
Sámi of Northern Europe
Sámi traditions include cosmic animals such as reindeer and bears, with worlds formed from animal bodies, underscoring kinship with more-than-human relatives (Kulonen, Seurujärvi-Kari & Pulkkinen, 2005).
African San Peoples
San stories often feature trickster-creator figures shaping landscapes and animal forms, teaching adaptability and moral insight (Biesele, 1993).
The Impact of Colonisation on Creation Stories
Missions and colonial schooling suppressed Aboriginal storytelling and replaced it with Christian narratives (Reynolds, 1987; Broome, 2005). Dispossession severed communities from the sacred sites that animate creation stories (Rose, 1996). For generations these narratives were dismissed as “myth,” rather than recognised as law and history (Broome, 2005). Today, language and story revival — including Wadawurrung initiatives — are restoring creation teachings to community and classrooms (Clark, 1995; Barwick, 1998).
Psychological and Cultural Importance
Creation stories act as psychological anchors, offering identity and meaning amid disruption, affirming resilience through colonisation, and connecting present communities with ancestors and future generations — establishing continuity across time (Rose, 1996; Broome, 2005).
Conclusion
Creation in Aboriginal communities — especially across Victoria — emphasises the inseparability of people, land, and law. Stories of Bunjil, Budj Bim, and Birrarung show creation as a living relationship enacted through Country, responsibility, and ceremony (Broome, 2005; UNESCO, 2019). In global comparison — Māori sky-earth separation, Haudenosaunee Turtle Island, Sámi cosmic animals — common themes of interconnection, obligation, and survival emerge (Orbell, 1995; Parker, 1916; Kulonen et al., 2005; Biesele, 1993). Though colonisation attempted to silence these teachings, contemporary revival, truth-telling, and education are ensuring they continue to shape identity, resilience, and futures for Aboriginal communities in Victoria and beyond (Rose, 1996; Barwick, 1998).
Reference List
Barwick, D. (1998). Rebellion at Coranderrk. Canberra: Aboriginal History Inc.
Biesele, M. (1993). Women Like Meat: The Folklore and Foraging Ideology of the Kalahari Ju/’hoan. Johannesburg: Witwatersrand University Press.
Broome, R. (2005). Aboriginal Victorians: A History Since 1800. Sydney: Allen & Unwin.
Clark, I. D. (1995). My Country of the Corner: The History of the Djadja Wurrung 1837–1901. Melbourne: Melbourne University Press.
Flood, J. (1997). Archaeology of the Dreamtime. Sydney: HarperCollins.
Kulonen, U-M., Seurujärvi-Kari, I. & Pulkkinen, R. (2005). The Saami – A Cultural Encyclopedia. Helsinki: SKS.
Orbell, M. (1995). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Māori Myth and Legend. Christchurch: Canterbury University Press.
Parker, A. C. (1916). The Constitution of the Five Nations. Albany: University of the State of New York.
Reynolds, H. (1987). The Law of the Land. Ringwood: Penguin.
Rose, D. B. (1996). Nourishing Terrains: Australian Aboriginal Views of Landscape and Wilderness. Canberra: Australian Heritage Commission.
UNESCO. (2019). Budj Bim Cultural Landscape World Heritage Nomination. Paris: UNESCO.
Written, Researched and Directed by James Vegter 16/09/2025
Magic Lands Alliance
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Magic Lands Alliance acknowledge the Traditional Owners, Custodians, and First Nations communities across Australia and internationally. We honour their enduring connection to the sky, land, waters, language, and culture. We pay our respects to Elders past, present, and emerging, and to all First Peoples communities and language groups. This article draws only on publicly available information; many cultural practices remain the intellectual property of communities.