Burala, the Ancestral Darter, travelled from the east, flying underground and emerged from just south of Yathalamarra to sit atop a tree. From there it went underground and emerged close by at another significant tree site at the tiny waterhole to the east, Bilimarr.

Burala is associated with mortuary rituals as the darter made the bullroarers used for this ceremony. Burala also formed another part of Yathalamarra at the north-eastern rim at Gururrpurrngayngura. [1]

[1] ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Excerpt from Margie West, ‘Yathalamara — land of the waterlily’ in the exhibition catalogue No ordinary place: the art of David Malangi, Canberra: National Gallery of Australia, 2004, p. 42–50. 

The publication, which includes articles by the exhibition curator Susan Jenkins, Nigel Lendon and Djon Mundine, is available from the Gallery Shop for $34.95 (RRP $49.95) or online at ngashop.com.au.