Land of the Echidna People by Percy Trezise
Illus. by Mary Lavis. Angus and Robertson, 2019. ISBN:
9781460756614. 32pp, hbk.
'Aboriginal oral history tells of hundreds of Dream Roads
criss-crossing the Australian continent which were made by Ancestral
Beings during their travels at the beginning of the Dreamtime. It
also tells of a vast freshwater lake at the top of Australia and
stories about ancestors like the Anta Moola sisters. There is also
scientific evidence to suggest that 36,000 years ago there was a
large freshwater lake at the top of Australia. Scientist called it
the Lake of Carpentaria . . . and it was also known as Balanorga,
the big water.'
The Journey
of the Great Lake series tells the story of Jadianta, Lande
and Jalmor,three children of the Kadimakara People who were caught
in a storm and stranded across the great lake, Balanorga and their
quest to return to their homeland as they journey around Balanorga,
along the Dream road of the Anta Moola sisters to find their way
home. The series, first published 20 years ago, comprises
Home
Of The Kadimakara People,
Land
of the Dingo People
Land
of the Magpie Goose People,
Land
of the Emu People,
Land
of the Snake People,
Land
of the Kangaroo People,
Land
of the Brolga People and the final in the series,
Land
of the Echidna People.
Written at a time when there was very little indigenous literature
for young readers available, the series was and is a valuable
addition to resources supporting studies of Aboriginal cultures,
providing young readers with an insight into the life and lands of
northern Australia 30 000 years ago.
Barbara Braxton