STORY - Goanna Dreaming

This painting depicts a Goanna Dreaming story. The story goes that a Japandardi man named Wamaru travelled south and approached a group of women that were sitting in a circle. He wanted to woo a Nungarrayi woman who was the wrong skin for him. By tribal law their relationship would be taboo. Still he chose to pursue her and they went up the hill at Yarripilangu where they made love. The earth there turned to white ochre and the man turned himself and all of the women into goannas. To this day white ochre can still be found at the top of the hill. The ochre is used for love magic and ceremonial decoration.