Native Animals History and Science
Introduction
Bats are the only mammals capable of true flight, and in Victoria they play essential ecological and cultural roles. With over 20 species of bats recorded in the state, they range from tiny insect-eating microbats weighing only a few grams to large fruit-eating flying foxes with wingspans over one metre (van Dyck & Strahan 2008). For Indigenous peoples, bats were significant not only as creatures of the night but also as symbolic beings — sometimes as tricksters, messengers, or guides between realms. Their story weaves together ecology, cultural knowledge, colonial encounters, and ongoing conservation.
Species of Bats in Victoria
Victoria’s bats belong to two main groups:
Megabats (Fruit Bats / Flying Foxes)
• The Grey-headed Flying Fox (Pteropus poliocephalus) is the largest bat in Victoria, common in Melbourne’s Yarra Bend Park colonies (Hall & Richards 2000).
• They feed on nectar, pollen, and fruit, acting as key pollinators and seed dispersers (Eby 1991).
Microbats (Insectivorous Bats)
• Species such as the Gould’s Wattled Bat (Chalinolobus gouldii) and the Southern Bent-wing Bat (Miniopterus orianae bassanii) are common (Lumsden & Bennett 2000).
• They consume vast numbers of insects nightly, providing natural pest control.
• The Southern Bent-wing Bat, found around Warrnambool and Naracoorte, is critically endangered (DELWP 2020).
Ecology and Behaviour
Bats are nocturnal, navigating and hunting through echolocation, emitting high-frequency calls to sense their surroundings (Fenton 1992). Their ecological roles include:
• Pollination and seed dispersal — flying foxes sustain forests and woodlands by spreading seeds across large distances (Parry-Jones & Augee 2001).
• Insect control — microbats can consume up to half their body weight in insects each night.
• Indicators of ecosystem health — bat diversity and activity often reflect environmental quality (Kunz et al. 2011).
By day, bats roost in caves, tree hollows, foliage, or urban colonies. Their ability to thrive in both wild and urban environments shows remarkable adaptability.
🆕 Indigenous Names for Bats in Victoria and Kulin Nations
Across Victoria, bats are recognised within Indigenous knowledge systems as important nocturnal beings connected to transformation, movement between realms, and ecological balance. While many specific language terms were impacted by colonisation and are not always fully preserved in written records, some documented words and cultural references remain.
On Wadawurrung Country, a recorded and referenced term for bats and flying foxes is:
Wadarri — used to describe bats/flying foxes within Wadawurrung language and cultural context (Blake 1991; Clark & Kostanski 2022)
This term continues to hold cultural meaning and is being reintroduced through language revitalisation efforts.
Across broader south-eastern Australia, patterns in language show:
Words often describe function and behaviour rather than strict species classification
Bats are understood through their role as night beings
Names vary between Nations, reflecting the place-based nature of language
Language, Lore, and Meaning
Within Indigenous systems of lore, bats represent:
Transformation and transition
Messengers between worlds
Adaptability and resilience
Language Loss and Revival
The limited availability of recorded bat-specific terms reflects:
Disruption of oral language systems
Suppression of language during colonisation
Loss of knowledge holders
Today, language revitalisation programs are restoring ecological vocabulary and reconnecting terms like wadarri to Country.
Indigenous Culture and Stories of Bats
In Indigenous traditions across Victoria and Australia, bats are powerful and sometimes ambivalent figures:
• Messengers and Spirits (Flood 1983)
• Tricksters and teachers
• Totemic beings (Howitt 1904)
• Cultural identity through language (Blake 1991; Clark & Kostanski 2022)
• The Ballyang story (Clark & Harradine 1990)
Bats in Colonial Victoria
Colonisation led to misunderstanding and decline in bat populations through habitat loss and persecution (Hall & Richards 2000; Troughton 1941).
Conservation and Threats
Modern threats include habitat loss, climate change, and human disturbance (DELWP 2020; Welbergen et al. 2008).
Cultural and Modern Symbolism
Bats today represent resilience, transformation, and ecological importance, with renewed recognition in Indigenous education and conservation.
Conclusion
Bats of Victoria remain powerful symbols of ecological balance and cultural knowledge. Protecting them supports both biodiversity and the continuation of Indigenous lore.
References
Blake, BJ 1991, Wathawurrung and the Colac Languages of Southern Victoria, Pacific Linguistics, Canberra.
Clark, I & Harradine, L 1990, The People of the Lakes: The Yuille Occupation of Ballarat, Ballarat Heritage Services.
Clark, I & Kostanski, L 2022, Stories of the Sea: Remembering Ancient Coastlines and Drowned Landscapes, Aboriginal History Monographs, Canberra.
DELWP 2020, Action Statement: Southern Bent-wing Bat, Victorian Government, Melbourne.
Eby, P 1991, ‘Seasonal movements of Grey-headed Flying Foxes’, Wildlife Research, vol. 18.
Fenton, MB 1992, ‘Bats and echolocation’, Trends in Ecology & Evolution, vol. 7.
Flood, J 1983, Archaeology of the Dreamtime, Collins, Sydney.
Hall, LS & Richards, G 2000, Flying Foxes: Fruit and Blossom Bats of Australia, UNSW Press.
Howitt, AW 1904, The Native Tribes of South-East Australia, Macmillan, London.
Kunz, TH et al. 2011, ‘Ecosystem services provided by bats’, Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences.
Lumsden, LF & Bennett, AF 2000, ‘Bats of south-eastern Australia’, Wildlife Research.
Parry-Jones, KA & Augee, ML 2001, Austral Ecology.
Troughton, E 1941, Furred Animals of Australia, Angus & Robertson.
van Dyck, S & Strahan, R (eds) 2008, The Mammals of Australia, 3rd edn.
Welbergen, JA et al. 2008, ‘Climate change and flying foxes’, Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
Written, Researched and Directed by James Vegter 16/09/2025
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