Tjilbruke facts for kids
Tjilbruke (also spelled Tjirbruki or Tjirbuk) is a very important ancestor for the Kaurna people. The Kaurna are an Aboriginal group from the Adelaide Plains in South Australia. Tjilbruke was a Kaurna man who lived in the Dreaming stories, which are about 11,000 years old.
The Tjilbruke Dreaming Track is a special Dreaming trail. It connects important places from Adelaide all the way south to Cape Jervis. Many of these places are sacred sites for Aboriginal people.
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Who Was Tjilbruke?
The Tjilbruke Dreaming stories are much older than when Europeans first arrived in South Australia. They likely began when the Kaurna people settled the area at least 2,000 years ago. Evidence of this has been found at Hallett Cove Conservation Park. The Kaurna land, called Kaurna Yerta Parngkarra, stretches from Cape Jervis in the south to Crystal Brook in the north. It includes the Mount Lofty Ranges, Gulf St Vincent, and the city of Adelaide.
The Tjilbruke story is a key part of the southern Kaurna Dreaming. It is more than just a story about how things began. For some, it is like a religion. It teaches rules for how to live and gives life spiritual meaning. It is both lore (traditional knowledge) and law.
The lore tells of a time when people lived peacefully and traded fairly. Tjilbruke, known as "Old Tjirbruki," was an ordinary man who kept these laws. He lived after the Wongga Yerlo (Gulf St Vincent) was formed by water covering the land. Tjilbruke was famous as a "great hunter and firemaker" and a hero for the Kaurna. He also helped protect animals and Kaurna land. He always showed respect to nearby groups. Valuing all life, both animal and human, was a key part of his and the Kaurna way of life.
Different Names and Story Versions
Around 1840, a researcher named Ronald Berndt wrote down the spellings "Tjirbuk" or "Tjirbuki." These were given by an Aboriginal man named Albert Karlowan. Another researcher, Norman Tindale from the South Australian Museum, used the spelling Tjirbruki. Today, Tjilbruke is the most common spelling.
Since the 1980s, the Williams family has been in charge of looking after the Tjilbruke story. They are from the Mullawirra and Mulla mai/Kudnarto clans. Karl Winda Telfer has also worked with Gavin Malone to share the story. The Tjilbruke story is part of a larger, more complex story called the Munaintya Dreaming. This story has been passed down through oral tradition for many years.
The Tjilbruke Dreaming Story
The story of Tjilbruke's journey along the east coast of Wongga Erlo (Gulf St Vincent) is the most famous Kaurna Dreaming story. It has become a symbol of how the Kaurna culture is being renewed. Norman Tindale first wrote down this story from Ngarrindjeri people. He worked on it for many years, publishing the most complete version in 1987.
The Emu Hunt and Tragedy
The story begins with three young men, Kulultuwi, Jurawi, and Tetjawi, hunting an emu (kari). Kulultuwi was Tjilbruke's special nephew, the son of his sister. The other two were his half-brothers. Tjilbruke was responsible for teaching Kulultuwi to do the right thing.
The young men hunted in the Tarndanya (Adelaide) area, across Mikkawomma (the plains) to Yerta Bulti (the Port River estuary). They drove the birds towards Mudlangga (Le Fevre Peninsula). Meanwhile, Tjilbruke was fishing at Witu-wattingga (the Brighton area). After fishing, he camped at Tulukudangga (Kingston Park). He then started tracking an emu south.
Kulultuwi returned to the area and found himself tracking the same emu as his uncle. He was not supposed to do this. However, he killed the emu. Tjilbruke was angry at first but forgave him when Kulultuwi gave him some of the meat. (In some versions, Tjilbruke even gave him permission to kill the emu.)
While Kulultuwi was cooking the emu, Jurawi and Tetjawi killed him with their spears. This was punishment for breaking the clan's law. The brothers took the body to their camp at Warriparri (Sturt River). They told their clan what happened and began to dry the body with smoke, as was the custom.
When Tjilbruke found out, he was very sad. He speared his two nephews to death in return, following the law. He then carried Kulultuwi's body to Tulukudangga. Here, a special meeting and ceremony were held to finish smoking the body.
Tjilbruke's Tears and the Springs
The story continues, telling how six freshwater springs were created by Tjilbruke's tears. He cried as he carried his nephew's body from Warriparri to the coast and southwards. He went past Aldinga Beach and onto the west coast of the Fleurieu Peninsula to Rapid Bay. The Dreaming story includes places in the Adelaide Plains, the Fleurieu Peninsula, and even the Adelaide Hills at Brukunga. This means it covers land belonging to the Ramindjeri and Peramangk people too.
After Kulultuwi's body was smoked and dried, Tjilbruke picked it up. He carried it first to Tulukudangga (Kingston Park). Some versions say his tears created this spring here. Others say it was already a spring. From Tulukudangga, Tjilbruke carried the body all the way down the eastern side of Gulf St Vincent. Then he went onto and down the west coast of the Fleurieu Peninsula.
Every night at sunset during his journey, Tjilbruke cried over his nephew's body. His tears turned into freshwater springs at six places:
- Kareildung (Hallett Cove)
- Tainbarang (Port Noarlunga)
- Potartang (Red Ochre Cove, near Moana Beach)
- Ruwarunga (Port Willunga)
- Witawali (Sellicks Beach)
- Kongaratinga (near Wirrina Cove or Yankalilla)
He reached a cave (perki) at Rapid Bay, near Cape Jervis. Then he came out from underground at Wateira nengal (Mount Hayfield) and created yellow ochre. He walked on to Lonkowar (The Bluff/Rosetta Head, in Ramindjeri country), near Victor Harbor. There, he killed a grey currawong, rubbed its fat on his body, and tied its feathers to his arms. Then, his spirit left his body, and he changed into a glossy ibis (or another wading bird, sometimes a blue crane). His body became the pyrite rock at Brukunga.
The story says: "Tjilbruke was so sad that he no longer wanted to live as a man. His spirit became a bird, the Tjilbruke (Glossy Ibis). His body became a memorial, a rock of iron pyrites, at Barrukungga. This place of hidden fire is now called Brukunga, north of Nairne in the Adelaide Hills. Tjilbruke was a master at making fire."
Creating the Tjilbruke Dreaming Track
In 1971, a group called the Tjilbruke Monuments Committee was formed. It included Robert Edwards from the South Australian Museum and sculptor John Dowie. They wanted to promote Kaurna culture. They raised money to mark the trail with plaques and sculptures. This was to honor Kaurna culture and teach visitors. In 1972, John Dowie created the Tjilbruke Monument at Kingston Park.
Cairns (piles of stones) were built at important spots along the Tjilbruke Trail. Articles and booklets were published in the 1980s, and the trail was added to school studies about Aboriginal culture. However, the Kaurna people had little say in these early efforts.
In 1981, Georgina Williams, a Kaurna woman, began researching the trail. She felt it was important because Tjilbruke showed the laws of her people and their connection to the land. Many sites along the trail are spiritually significant. In the 1980s, the Tjilbruke Track Committee (which followed the Monuments Committee) focused on the track. This work became central to Kaurna identity. The committee later became the Kaurna Aboriginal Community and Heritage Association (KACHA) in the 1990s. This group became the official voice for all Kaurna people on matters of cultural heritage.
The Tjilbruke Dreaming Track, marked by commemorative plaques at ten places, was created in 1986. This was the 150th anniversary of British colonisation of South Australia. While many events celebrated white history, the Dreaming Track was a major Aboriginal project. The original idea was to build a monument at Rosetta Head (The Bluff), where Tjilbruke's spirit became an ibis. But Georgina Williams pushed for the idea of a track with several marked sites. This was to show a modern Kaurna presence on their own lands and in public awareness.
In 2005, the City of Marion worked with other councils to create an agreement called Kaurna Tappa Iri Regional Agreement 2005-2008 (Walking Together). The Tjilbruki Dreaming Trail was a big part of this agreement. In 2006, six signs explaining Kaurna culture were put along the trail. This was a team effort with the state government. These markers are very important for both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people. They help share Aboriginal cultural meaning with more people.
Going south from the Tjilbruke Monument at Kingston Park, there are ten markers:
- City of Marion:
- 1 Hallett Cove/Karildilla, at a park on Weerab Drive
- 2 Hallett Cove Karildilla, on Heron Way at the foreshore – where the first spring is
- City of Onkaparinga:
- 3 Port Noarlunga/Tainbarilla – at Tutu Wirra Reserve – where the second spring is
- 4 Red Ochre Cove/Karkungga – where the third spring is
- 5 Port Willunga/Wirruwarrungga, Esplanade – where the fourth spring is
- 6 Sellicks Beach/Witawodli, Esplanade/Francis Street – where the fifth spring is
- District Council of Yankalilla:
- 7 Carrickalinga Head/Karragarlangga, foreshore
- 8 Wirrina Cove Resort/Kongaratinga, entrance – where the sixth spring is
- 9 Rapid Bay/Patpangga, foreshore
- 10 Cape Jervis/Parawerangk, lookout car park
In 2009, a walkway was built to make it easier to reach Tulukudangga Spring at Kingston Park. New signs were also added to explain the site. The City of Marion plans to work with nearby councils to promote the Tjilbruke Dreaming Tracks in June 2022.
The Tjilbruki Gateway
The Tjilbruki Gateway is a modern art display in Marion at Warriparinga. It was created by Adelaide artists Margaret Worth, Sherry Rankine, and Gavin Malone. This artwork is full of meaning. It uses colored sands from the Red Ochre Cove area, morthi (tinder) from Stringybark tree trunks, and eucalypt trees. It was planned since 1995 and officially opened in October 1997. Important people like the Governor General of Australia, William Deane, and Lowitja O'Donoghue attended. The opening was celebrated with traditional ceremony and dance.
Warriparinga Cultural Centre
In 2001, a federal government-funded project, working with the City of Marion and the Kaurna community, created a special center. This center was for Indigenous and non-Indigenous people to come together. It is located in the suburb of Marion, South Australia at a place called Warriparinga. This site, near the Sturt River and a wetland, was a traditional ceremonial camp for the Kaurna people. It was first called the Warriparinga Interpretive Centre. Later, it became the Living Kaurna Cultural Centre.
Other Ways Tjilbruke is Remembered
The Tjilbruke Dreaming is remembered at eleven places around Adelaide city centre. One of the first might be the ibis and Aboriginal man shown in the Three Rivers Fountain. This fountain was sculpted by John Dowie and first shown in 1963 in Victoria Square/Tarndanyangga.
There is also a plaque at Mt Lofty Summit with information about Tjilbruke.
An outdoor art display called Yerrakartarta was created by Kokatha artist Darryl Pfitzner "Mo" Milika. It means "at random." Several other artists helped, including Kaurna/Ngarrindjeri artist Muriel van der Byl and ceramicists Jo Fraser, Stephen Bowers, and Jo Crawford. It was made from 1993 to 1994 on the forecourt of the Intercontinental Hotel in Adelaide. At the time, it was the largest Australian project for an Aboriginal public artwork. It shows the history of the land with animal shapes cut into the ground. On the wall around the area, a huge ceramic mural tells the Tjilbruke Dreaming story.
Other ways Tjilbruke is remembered include:
- 1990s: Tjilbruke Dreaming Mural, Brompton Primary School
- 1997: Cultural Path Signal Box Park, Rosewater
- 1998: Tjilbruke Dreaming Mural, O'Sullivan Beach Primary School
- 2006: Warriparinga Walk Mural, under the Southern Expressway bridge at Warriparinga, Bedford Park
- 2002: Kaurna meyunna, Kaurna yerta tampendi – "Recognising Kaurna people and Kaurna land," at the Adelaide Festival Centre, with a carved stone representing the springs
- 2007: Towilla Yerta Reserve, Port Willunga – pavement design includes a tear shape, and signs explain the Dreaming
- 2009: Glow / Taltaityai, Walter Morris Drive, Port Adelaide, with pictures of ibis and emus
