Dr John Bradley

Singing Saltwater Country

Monash Country Lines Archive has created digital animations of a number of Yanyuwa songs and stories to assist with the preservation of traditional knowledge, language and history. Click this link to see these extraordinary animated stories of the Yanyuwa families of Borroloola, including the Tiger Shark whom John mentioned sung back over the country he had travelled. 

For anyone with even a remote interest in songlines, here is a link to "Singing Saltwater Country", a definite must-read; and also a link to Volumes 1 and 2 of "Language for Us, The Yanyuwa Saltwater People - A Yanyuwa Encyclopaedia".

To meet some of the senior Yanyuwa song women, and for a greater insight into Yanyuwa (saltwater) country, have a look at this YouTube clip about the Gulf Country Songbook, a collection of Yanyuwa, Marra, Garrwa and Gudanji songs. At about 13:42 of the clip, Marlene Timothy shows a map of Yanyuwa songlines, pointing out the Sir Edward Pellew Group of Islands, part of the traditional home of the Yanyuwa people.

Also, John refers to Deborah Bird Rose's work when he mentions wounded places. Here is a link to a very interesting video clip with Deborah Bird Rose talking about the extensive songline of the Black headed python who travels from the Indian Ocean across the entire continent to the Queensland coast, and beyond.