Too-roo-dun is a Boonwurrung word for Bunyip, and Bunyip is a word from the Wathawurrung language.
TOO-ROO-DUN has brought together Victorian Aboriginal communities to create an immersive and imagined exhibition celebrating the Bunyip. This has resulted in a re-imagining of the bunyips’ place of residence and offers a contemporary interpretation of cultural stories surrounding inner demons and monsters. The participants’ cultural connections through storytelling has reinvigorated Victorian Indigenous language place names and words.
The TOO-ROO-DUN project has fostered a strong sense of cultural identity, connection and wellbeing for all involved through a collaborative community approach in various Indigenous communities in south east Melbourne. TOO-ROO-DUN has supported the transmission and development of Indigenous language, knowledge and stories about bunyips and place, encouraging connection to country, culture and each other. This project has also supported participation and contributions by all Indigenous community members regardless of their arts experience or skills.
The materials used in the making of the bunyips are varied and include kelp, oaten hay, paper bark, alpaca wool, feathers, fibre, seeds, teeth, bones, as well as a combination of traditional and contemporary materials, such as chicken wire, plastic bones, linoleum tiles, and even a repurposed outdoor umbrella stand.
3rd July to 14th July, 2018
45 Flinders Lane
Melbourne, Victoria 3000 Australia
Supported by Gandel Philanthropy, the Federal Government through the Indigenous Languages & Arts program and the Indigenous Visual Arts Industry Support program, Creative Victoria and the Mornington Peninsula Shire.