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‘Borun & Tuk’ are the Dreamtime Ancestors of the Gunaikurnai. This is their story:

The story of our creation starts with Borun, the pelican, who traversedour Country from the mountains in the north to the place called Tarra Warackelin the South. As Borun travelled down the mountains, he could hear a constant tapping sound, but he couldn’t identify the sound or where it was coming from. Tap tap tap.

He traversed the cliffs and mountains and forged his way through the forests. Tap tap tap. He followed the river systems across our Country and created songlines and storylines as he went. Tap tap tap.

He walked on alone and when he got down into the deeper inlets near Tarra Warackel (now known as Port Albert) he put down his canoe and, much to his surprise, there was a woman in it. She was Tuk, the musk duck. Borun was very happy to see Tuk, and they married and became the mother and father of the five clans, the creators of Gunaikurnai.

The Borun & Tuk Gallery will continually evolve over time with different artworks and displays, so be sure to visit often!

Gippsland Art Gallery acknowledges and pays respect to the Gunaikurnai people, the Traditional Owners of these lands and waters. Gunaikurnai Creation Story courtesy GLaWAC (Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation). Reprinted by kind permission.