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Artwork by Brendan Kerin

The Dreamtime Story of Burra the Eel and the Songline of Burramatta

In the Dreamtime, before rivers flowed and oceans swelled, there was Burra, a mighty eel spirit and protector of the waters. As Burra moved through the empty lands, his powerful form shaped the world, carving out what is now Sydney Harbour with his body. The deep waters were the mark of his passage, breathing life into the harbour and connecting it to the rivers beyond.

Burra then traveled upstream, creating the Parramatta River and resting at Burramatta, the “place of many eels.” His head, now Me-Mel (Goat Island), remained at the harbour’s entrance, forever watching over the lands he shaped.

But Burra’s journey continued. His songline stretched beyond Burramatta, across the ocean to distant islands like Vanuatu, connecting land and sea. Yet, Burra always returned home, swimming back through Sydney Harbour to rest in Burramatta.

Today, Burra is remembered as the creator and protector, his songline a reminder of the deep connection between land, water, and spirit. His story of creation and return lives on in the hearts of the people who walk the lands he once shaped.