Walkabout – Ancestral Spirit and Child (birds, witchetty grubs crocodiles, bush turkey)

This painting depicts the journeys Janet called ‘walkabout’ – annual travels on her country during the wet season. Here, she has depicted the spirit of a female creation ancestor who resides in a sacred cave near water and rocks. She said that the spirit “sings out when she goes looking mungari (food)”.

Janet also said “in this painting you can see a little child hidden in a cave. The child’s mother would leave it there and go hunting for food. That baby is high up in the cave, all safe and sound. There is a creation era freshwater crocodile living in that place. He went there during the Dreamtime. He’s been there a long, long time. He comes out in the rain time, when it floods. He’s a quiet one. If he sees anyone he will slide down to the water and disappear. But you know that lady? The one that hides her baby up high in the cave. She’s a quiet lady and sometimes she sees that crocodile in the early evening when she gets back from hunting and gathering bush foods. I used to see that crocodile too when I was young. You had to be really quiet, couldn’t make a big noise. Quiet, quiet.”