Contents include:

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Part 1: Australia and the Aboriginal People

Overview of Australia

Geography:

• The Land
• The Geographic Regions
• How Climate Affected the Aborigines
• The Megafauna
• The Fauna
• The Flora

The Aboriginal People:

• The People and the Land
• Walkabout
• The Corroboree
• Ceremonial Walkabouts
• Trade
• Transportation

Customs:

• The Totemic System
• The Arts
• Aboriginal Art
• Storytelling
• Music
• Other Instruments
• Dance
• Education
• Language
• Impact of Europeans on the Language

Recent History:

• Early Visitors
• European Invasion and Colonization
• Story of a Removed Child

Reconciliation
Color Plates – photographs (8 pages of color plates)

Part 2: The Stories (33)

1. Mirrabooka – A Story About the Southern Cross
2. The Beginning Island – a Creation story from the Island of Tasmania. (Pauline E. McLeod)
3. Lumarai, the Mother Snake – a Rainbow Serpent story, from the Northern Territory (Francis Firebrace)
4. The Murray Cod – a map story from the Murray River basin of New South Wales/Victoria (Pauline. E. McLeod)
5. Boomerang: Alinga – from Uluru, (Ayers Rock) Northern Territory (Francis Firebrace)
6. The Birth of the Butterflies – from the Murray Basin, (June E. Barker) – when death came into the world
7. Why the Kookaburra Laughs – Goo-Goor-gaga – from New South Wales. (Pauline E. McLeod)
8. The Whale Man and his Canoe – from the Northern Territory (Francis Firebrace) – a story believed to have originated during the last Ice Age
9. How the Birds Got Their Colours – A Wiradjuri Story from New South Wales (Pauline E. McLeod)
10. First Platypus – from top end of the Darling River region, Northern New South Wales (June E. Barker)
11. How the Kangaroo got her Pouch – from Wiradjuri people, New South Wales (Pauline E. McLeod)
12. The Little Flying Fox, a New South Wales, North Coast Story. (Pauline E. McLeod)
13. How Koolah the Koala Lost His Tail – from Northwestern New South Wales (June E. Barker)
14. Pikkuw, the Crocodile – from The Northern Territory, (Francis Firebrace)
15. Goolbree – How the Emu Lost Its Wings – Northern New South Wales (June E. Barker)
16. Story of the Didgeridoo – a Gulf country story, from the Northern Territory (Francis Firebrace)
17. How the Night Owl Came to be – from Northwestern New South Wales, (June E. Barker
18. Myee, the Bogong Moth Woman – from the Albury region, New South Wales (Francis Firebrace)
19. Frog and Lyrebird; from the Blue Mountains of New South Wales. (Pauline E. McLeod)
20. Special Platypus – from the Central Coast of New South Wales (Pauline E. McLeod)
21. Tidalik – A giant frog story from the Murray River region of New South Wales / Victoria (Pauline E. McLeod)
22. Wambayah, the Turtle – from Northwestern New South Wales, (June E. Barker)
23. Brolga – a bird story from the Darling River plains of New South Wales. (Pauline E. McLeod)
24. The Bunyip in the Forest – an original scary story, from Victoria, (Francis Firebrace)
25. The Little Koala and the Bunyip – from Queensland, (Francis Firebrace)
26. The Min Min Light from Northwestern New South Wales (June E. Barker)
27. Djididjidi and Kuburi – from Western Australia (Francis Firebrace)
28. Marmoo and Biami – an insect story from Blue Mountains region, New South Wales. (Pauline E. McLeod)
29. Belah, the Sun Woman – from South Australia (Francis Firebrace)
30. The Sturt Desert Pea – from the Central Desert Region (Francis Firebrace)
31. The Fire Keeper – a Northern Territory story (Francis Firebrace)
32. The First Waratah – a flower story from the Illawarra region of New South Wales. (Pauline E. McLeod)
33. Girilambone: the Place of Falling Stars – from Northwestern New South Wales. (June E. Barker)

Glossary

Bibliography

About the Authors

 

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