Ancient Australia
At the dawn of time, it was the Ancestral Beings – part human, part beast – who brought what was previously barren land to life. At the end of the Dreaming journeys, the Ancestral Being left aspects of themselves behind, transformed into part of the landscape.
Passed down among the Gunditjmara people, supposedly tracing itself to ancient Australia roughly 37,000 years ago, this story is believed by some to describe the origins of the Budj Bim volcano, whose structure is likened to a giant being's head emerging from the earth, replete with cinder cone teeth.
In the wake of the Australian fires emerge the remains of an ancient system of aquaculture carefully crafted by the Gunditjmara, otherwise known as the Dhauwurd Wurrung, who fashioned their economy and spirituality in close connection with Budj Bim.
Such news has recently made headlines, with suggestions that the origin story for the Budj Bim volcano may be the oldest on earth. While this cannot be definitively proven given the difficulty of tracing the story historically, there may be a lesson embedded in it nonetheless. Here, we examine the ecology of ancient Australia through the lens of this account attributed to the Gunditjmara people.
Budj Bim Volcano
The Budj Bim volcano is among Australia's natural wonders, situated in the southwestern part of present-day Victoria. It is otherwise known by the colonial name Mount Eccle, which was subsequently replaced in some contexts with its original name Budj Bim, meaning "high head." Based on the geological record, Budj Bim likely formed approximately 37,000 years ago as lava poured out of the earth's crust, dynamically shaping the land like a being leaving traces of itself behind, thereby transforming into part of the landscape.
While it is unclear whether humans were present to witness its formation, stories about Budj Bim as well as the origins of other volcanic structures and natural landmarks pervade the eco-mythology of indigenous cultures. Budj Bim currently forms a central part of the Budj Bim Cultural Landscape, the only Australian world heritage location that has been deemed a world heritage site for its aboriginal cultural value exclusively.
Ecologically, the Budj Bim volcano is now covered in vegetation, mostly Manna Gum woodland that characterizes much of the overlapping Tungatt Mirring, or Stone Country, which is marked by rugged stony outcrops, thus preserving prominent lava-flow landscapes. The region's morphology documents Budj Bim's central role in Gunditjmara culture and ecology.
Budj Bim's last eruption was some 8,000 years ago, making it presently inactive. Most significantly, with a documented history of eel farming that dates back over 6,000 years, the region's terrain preserves traces of the earliest aquaculture system presently known to exist on earth.
Aquaculture Complex
The aquaculture complex of Budj Bim consists of a sophisticated network of channels intentionally engineered to divert water inland, much like its origin story which tells of ancient beings bringing previously barren land to life. Utilizing the natural geology of lava flow supplemented by an advanced understanding of hydraulics, these channels were engineered to carry eels and other creatures from the ocean into wetlands where they could be easily captured, such as present-day Lake Condah and others known to the Gunditjmara as Kerup, Tae Rak, and Koon Doom.
As a result of having developed this aquaculture complex, the Gunditjmara were able to form settlements, making further micro-climactic adjustments by utilizing the naturally occurring vegetation as well as the available stone materials for tools and architecture. In both a symbolic and literal sense, the Gunditjmara brought previously barren land to life through their aquacultural expertise.
Gunditjmara Ecology
The Budj Bim aquaculture complex represents an integrated system of landscape planning, reflecting mastery of hydraulics and water ecology, embodying the origin story that describes ancient beings emerging from the earth and bringing previously barren land to life. Gunditjmara land custodianship enabled a period of ecological flourishing until the beginning of colonial pastoralism and intensive settlement in the mid nineteeth century, contributing to significant cultural and ecological disturbances.
Newly exposed channels have come to the attention of geologists, archaeologists, and ecologists after much of the land was razed by the recent fires in Australia, uncovering the sophistication of Gunditjmara ecology. Budj Bim's origin story itself suggests an intimate relationship between beings and the earth, which is itself alive.
In light of the severity of ecological challenges we currently face as a global community, perhaps this ancient system of balanced aquaculture among the Gunditjmara can inspire present conservation and regeneration efforts in the realms of whole-systems permaculture and sustainability at large.
As the story describes, "At the end of the Dreaming journeys, the Ancestral Being left aspects of themselves behind, transformed into part of the landscape." In many ways, this dreaming journey and transformation are ongoing. To re-route the course of events, perhaps we must become lucid in the dream and return ourselves to the landscape. To be continued.
Source:
Gunditjmara and G. Wettenhall. The People of Budj Bim: Engineers of Aquaculture, Builders of Stone House Settlements and Warriors Defending Country. Ballarat: Em Press Publishing, 2010.
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