The Great Bunya Gathering : early accounts / Dr Ray Kerkhove

The Bunya Gathering was arguably the largest and most influential Indigenous gathering in Australia. It engaged a great slice of Australia, not only during its occurrence, but at all times. This is because even back at home, attendees were busy creating corroborees and crafts that would be shared at the event. They also looked forward to – or perhaps dreaded - the marriage arrangements, judicial decisions and ceremonies that would be made at that spot. Finally, they spent weeks to months simply journeying there and back – often conducting further ‘business’ (ceremonies etc.) en route