The D’harawal calendar

1. The D’harawal calendar • The D’harawal people lived around where Sydney is now. • Through their traditions and Dreaming the D’harawal people knew the signs to look for in nature that told them the season. • They believed there were 6 seasons in the year.

2. GadalungMarool Months: January - February Weather: hot and dry • Eating kangaroo meat is not allowed and the people eat only fruits and seeds. This was to stop them getting sick, as the meat went off in the hot weather and could give them food poisoning if they ate it. • This is a time when the weetjellan (acacia implexa) blooms and the Burra (kangaroo’s) start having babies. • When they saw the wheetjellan bloom, the people knew to only light fires in the sandy areas far away from the bushland. • It was also a time with lots of storms, so it was not a good idea to camp near rivers or creeks.

3. Bana’murrai’yung Months: March - May Weather: wet, becoming cooler • In the rainforest, the lillipilli fruit ripens and the people eat the fruit as they travel from the mountains to the coast where it is not as cold. • This is the time when the fruit of the lillipilli (syzygiumspp) ripen and sound of the marrai’gang (tiger quoll) looks for a mate. • This a good time to mend or make cloaks to keep warm when it gets even colder • The sounds of the marrai’gang can be heard in the forests as they search for mates. They are usually nocturnal and hidden. The babies live in the mothers pouch and when the weather gets colder, they leave the burrow and learn to hunt birds and lizards.

4. The barrugin (echidna) usually keep to themselves, but at this time of year can be seen in the daytime. The young puggles (baby echidna) live in insulated burrows until they are ready to forage for food on their own. Echidnas don’t like the heat. TugarahTuli Months: June - July Weather: cold, frosty, short days • This is the time when burringoa (eucalyptus tereticornis) flowers and the barrugin (echidna) begin their gatherings. • There is a lot of nectar from all the flowers, and there are a lot of gliders, pygmy possums and flying foxes, lorikeets and honeyeaters around. The people collect nectar and flowers which they store to use when the ceremonies begin. • They do not eat shellfish until the boo’kerrikin blooms.

5. TugarahGunya’marri Months: August Weather: cold and windy • When the marrai’uo flowers, it is a sign there are a lot of fish in the rivers. It also means the end of the cold, windy weather and the beginning of the gentle spring rains. • The time when the wiritjibin (lyrebird) builds nests, the boo’gul (marsupial mouse) has babies and the marrai’uo (acacia floribunda) flowers. • The people begin their journey to the highlands, along the rivers and build their shelter facing the rising sun. • The wiritjirbin (lyrebird) builds mounds for nests in sunny spots in the forest. According to the dreamtime, the wiritjirbin taught the D’harawal people to dance.

6. Murrai’yunggoray Months: September - October Weather: cool, getting warmer • The ngoonuni (flying foxes) fly back to the Sydney area and can be seen in the evenings before they fly south to feed. • The time when the ngoonuni (flying foxes) gather and the red flower of the miwagawaian (telopiapeciosissima) can be seen. • There are a lot of celebrations and ceremonies at this time of year. • As the weather gets hotter there are lots of blooms which the people eat.

7. Gooray’murrai Months: November - December Weather: warm and wet • Parra’dowee (the great eel spirit) calls to his children, they move down the river and towards the deep ocean near Fiji and Vanuatu. This is also when the older eels die and their eggs hatch. • The time when the parra (freshwater eels) begin to change and the kai’arrewan (acacia binervia) bloom. • The people do not camp near rivers, as there are thunderstorms and a lot of rain. • When the people see the kai’arrewan (acaiabinervia) bloom, it tells them there are a lot of fish in the bays.