Examples of Articles
The Guardian of Balance and Teacher of Country
MLA Educational Series - Country, Animals, and Lore
Across the plains, rocky rises, and coastal scrublands of Victoria, the blue-tongue lizard — known to science as Tiliqua scincoides — moves quietly through leaf litter and sunlight, its scales glinting bronze and grey. To Indigenous communities, including the Wadawurrung, Wurundjeri, Gunditjmara, Dja Dja Wurrung, Taungurung, Boon Wurrung, and other Kulin Nations, the blue-tongue is far more than a reptile: it is a guardian of balance, a messenger between earth and fire, and a teacher of patience, resilience, and renewal.
For tens of thousands of years, its behaviour, habitat, and seasonal rhythms have guided ecological understanding and cultural meaning. As a creature that sheds its skin and survives both fire and drought, the blue-tongue became a living symbol of transformation and endurance — an embodiment of the old law that all life renews itself through change.
Biology and Ecology
The Eastern Blue-Tongue Lizard (Tiliqua scincoides scincoides) and the Blotched Blue-Tongue (Tiliqua nigrolutea) are the two main species found in Victoria. These large, slow-moving skinks live in woodlands, grasslands, and coastal heath, seeking refuge in hollow logs, under rocks, or within debris piles.
Their distinct blue tongue — which flashes suddenly when threatened — startles predators and warns of their defence. They are omnivorous, eating insects, snails, berries, and flowers, and play a vital role in controlling pests and dispersing seeds. During winter, they brumate (a reptilian form of hibernation), re-emerging with the warmth of spring — a natural calendar for First Peoples marking seasonal renewal.
In ecological science, blue-tongues are now recognised as keystone insectivores, maintaining soil and plant health through pest regulation. Yet for Indigenous cultures, their ecological role is inseparable from their spiritual presence (Clarke 2009; Gott 2019; Museums Victoria 2023).
Cultural Knowledge and Lore
Wadawurrung Country
On Wadawurrung Country, the blue-tongue was seen as a protector of the hearth and a keeper of stories of fire. Its slow, calm movements represented balance and deliberation — the act of thinking before acting. Elders say that when the lizard appeared near camp, it reminded people to move gently with Country, to take only what was needed, and to respect the ground that feeds all things.
Its blue tongue, symbolising sky and water, balanced its earthen body, embodying harmony between elements. The Wadawurrung associated the lizard’s annual shedding with human renewal — the idea that to heal, one must release what no longer serves.
In stories shared across the Kulin Nations, the blue-tongue sometimes acted as a mediator between fire and people, teaching early Ancestors how to use fire wisely without letting it destroy (Atkinson 2002; Gott 2019).
Meaning and Symbolism in Kulin Nations
Across Victoria, the blue-tongue lizard appears in story, totem, and teaching:
Symbol of Truth and Renewal: Its tongue, flashing blue like the sky, represented truth-telling — the act of speaking clearly and honestly. In some stories, lying or gossip was said to “turn your tongue blue,” reflecting this spiritual lesson.
Guardian of the Hearth: Blue-tongues often basked near camps and fires, unafraid of people. They were seen as keepers of home fire, a sign of safety and continuity.
Teacher of Cycles: Its seasonal appearance reminded communities of planting and gathering times, as its return coincided with the blooming of wattle and the arrival of eels in the rivers.
Totemic Role: In certain family groups, the blue-tongue served as a totem animal, representing groundedness and adaptability. Totem holders were expected to protect the animal and embody its qualities, such as calmness, patience, and wisdom.
For Wurundjeri and Taungurung peoples, the lizard’s ability to regenerate its tail symbolised resilience after loss, mirroring the cycles of destruction and rebirth within Country itself (Clarke 2009; Howitt 1904).
Medicine and Healing Associations
Though not a plant or mineral medicine, the blue-tongue held important spiritual and symbolic healing power. Healers recognised its patterns of shedding, sunning, and burrowing as reflections of life’s essential rhythms.
Some communities used lizard fat or oil (gently rendered) as a topical treatment for sores or insect bites, much like emu oil in northern traditions (Southcott 1976). The creature’s calm nature and connection to earth energy made it a teaching medicine — helping people overcome fear, anger, and imbalance.
In smoke ceremonies, stories of the blue-tongue were told to guide younger initiates in patience, teaching them that true power lies in quiet movement, not aggression or speed. Its medicine was that of steady strength, a principle still echoed in Indigenous wellness teachings today (Atkinson 2002; RBGV 2023).
Stories of Fire and the Tongue of the Sky
In several Victorian and southeastern Australian stories, the blue-tongue lizard is associated with fire and lightning. One story tells of how the lizard once stole fire from the sky, hiding it beneath its tongue to protect the people from the cold. When it returned the flame, the tongue remained permanently blue — a mark of both courage and service.
The blue colour also connected it to Waa (the crow) and Bunjil (the eagle) — the great ancestral beings of the Kulin Nations. Blue-tongue’s tongue was seen as a link between their realms, carrying messages between sky and earth. The blue of the tongue became a sign of balance — between storm and calm, word and silence, life and renewal (Gott 2019; Clarke 2009).
Ecology and Traditional Observation
Traditional knowledge systems described the blue-tongue as an indicator species — when seen active after rain, it signified healthy soils and an abundance of insects. Its tracks and burrows revealed the condition of the land. If the lizard was scarce, Elders knew the ground was drying or disturbed.
Fire management practices also took into consideration the lizard’s habitat. Cultural burns were planned with mosaic patterns that preserved refuges for reptiles, ensuring the survival of soil keepers like the blue-tongue. Modern ecology now recognises these same methods as vital for biodiversity (DEECA 2023; VNPA 2021).
Colonisation and Decline
Colonisation brought about profound ecological disruption: introduced predators, such as cats and foxes, decimated lizard populations; large-scale ploughing destroyed burrows and native grasslands. The spiritual roles of species like the blue-tongue were dismissed, and traditional totemic knowledge — linking people to animal kin — was suppressed.
By the late 19th century, pastoral expansion and the spread of invasive weeds had silenced much of Victoria’s reptile life. The voice of the blue-tongue, once part of the landscape’s living language, became rare outside remote bushland (Gott 2019; Museums Victoria 2023).
Revival and Continuity
Today, Indigenous communities, conservationists, and educators are working together to restore both habitat and culture. The Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation, alongside Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung and Gunditjmara groups, includes reptiles like the blue-tongue in cultural interpretation programs and ecological restoration projects.
Schools and cultural centres use blue-tongue stories to teach respect for Country, environmental awareness, and emotional balance. The species’ return to urban reserves and revegetated grasslands has become a symbol of the Country’s resilience — a reminder that the land heals when listened to with care.
Conclusion
For Indigenous peoples of Victoria, the blue-tongue lizard is not merely an inhabitant of Country — it is a teacher, guardian, and healer. Its calm patience mirrors the law of living lightly; its blue tongue speaks truth; its cycles of shedding and renewal embody survival through change.
To hear the rustle of its movement or glimpse its bronze scales glinting in the sun is to be reminded that wisdom walks quietly. The blue-tongue remains a living messenger of harmony — between human and land, word and silence, fire and sky.
References
Atkinson, J 2002, Trauma Trails: Recreating Song Lines, Spinifex Press, Melbourne.
Clarke, PA 2009, Australian Aboriginal Ethnobotany: An Overview, CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne.
DEECA Victoria 2023, Biodiversity and Cultural Fire in Victoria, Department of Energy, Environment & Climate Action, Melbourne.
Gott, B 2019, The Yam Daisy: A History of Aboriginal Plant Use in Victoria, Aboriginal Studies Press, Canberra.
Howitt, AW 1904, The Native Tribes of South-East Australia, Macmillan, London.
Museums Victoria 2023, Reptiles of Country: Aboriginal Ecological Knowledge Collections, Museums Victoria, Melbourne.
Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria 2023, Country, Ecology and Healing in Victorian Landscapes, RBGV, Melbourne.
Victorian National Parks Association (VNPA) 2021, Native Wildlife and Grassland Restoration in Victoria, VNPA, Melbourne.
Southcott, R 1976, Ethnozoological Medicine in Australia, Australian Journal of Ethnobotany, Canberra.
Written, Researched and Directed by James Vegter (2025)
MLA — Magic Lands Alliance
Sharing the truth of Indigenous and colonial history through film, education, land, and community.
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Copyright MLA – 2025
Magic Lands Alliance acknowledges 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 respect 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 their respective communities.