Kangaroo Dreaming

Dreaming Series - by Charlie Chambers 9 pce wooden Jigsaw 200x 200mm, including Dreaming story and activity suggestions

      Kangaroo Dreaming           

          Art by, and Dreaming Story retold by Charlie Chambers Jnr.    

            Back in the Dreamtime, there was a group of Aboriginal tribes having a corroboree around the campfire. Enjoying themselves, they didn’t notice that they were being watched by someone hiding in the bushes. This fellow was enjoying the music so much that he joined in the corroboree. When he joined in dancing, he became excited and started hopping around the fire. The more excited he became, the faster he would hop around. Suddenly he started to change form; his arms became smaller, his legs became bigger and he grew a long tail to balance him as he hopped around. This person can still be seen today - he is known as the Kangaroo.

Suggestions for Activities:  * Organize to see an Aboriginal dance performance, live or on video, and discuss the story telling and cultural importance of dance.

* Learn more about traditional bush tucker and use in cooking activities. Discuss different cooking methods.

Notes:* Dot painting, cross-hatching and the X-ray style, showing bones and intestines, are 3 techniques used by Aboriginal tribes in Australia. Different tribes use different styles, just as different Western artists in different countries do. The Dreamtime stories in this series come from the old people in the community who use them to explain how the animals. plants and people came to be, at the beginning of time, or the Dreamtime.

* The artist, Charlie Chambers Jnr. was born at Cherbourg in Queensland and is of Kiullill and Kookimijii heritage. Charlie was taught to draw by his father. Charlie’s cross hatching style of art comes from his father’s North Queensland and the dot work from his mother, from a Western Queensland tribe. Charlie does storytelling in schools and the community, in an effort to pass on Aboriginal stories and art to others. He is a renowned artist, whose paintings are on display around Queensland, (including a 2.5 metre long mural in the foyer of the QE11 Hospital in Brisbane) and also overseas.                                                                     MADE IN AUSTRALIA