Ngunnawal Dreamtime Pathway

A sacred being of immense power, the Rainbow Serpent is a prominent figure in Ngunnawal spirituality and culture. This snake shaped deity is associated with water, creation, and the landscape. In our Dreamtime stories, it features as a powerful creator of the land around us, and a symbol of rebirth and the interconnectedness of all living things. As it moved across Ngunnawal Country, the Rainbow Serpent shaped the rivers, carved the waterholes, and sculpted the hills and valleys of the land that we walk on today.

This Floriade, we invite you to walk with us through the six seasons—each a chapter in Mother Earth’s renewal. Let the scents, sounds, and colours guide you through Ngunnawal Country, as we tell you the Dreamtime story of our journey taken in the mouth of the Rainbow Serpent.

When the Ngunnawal people needed to travel, we would find an area to gather – usually near a natural spring or a sacred waterhole. There, we would sing and dance, our voices and our footsteps drumming the land in a mighty earthquake. The rhythm and vibrations of our movement would awaken the ground and travel through the water until they reached the resting place of the Rainbow Serpent.

Stirred by our song, the Rainbow Serpent would leave its resting place behind and move swiftly through the ground to meet us. The land would shudder as the Rainbow Serpent burst from the earth, its body arching towards the sky before it settled before us, its head emerging once again from the ground to listen to our request.

We would explain our need to travel swiftly, the purpose we had for crossing the land, and ask the Rainbow Serpent to help us. If it agreed, it would open its great mouth, and we would leap inside.

Through rivers and underground water veins, the Rainbow Serpent and its water would carry us, rushing across the land to our destination. Once we arrived, the Rainbow Serpent would release us from its mouth gently, and we would thank it before we continued on our journey.

So, now that you have heard the story of the Rainbow Serpent and our travels, come, walk through the Dreamtime with us. Imagine yourself within the mouth of the Rainbow Serpent as it makes its way through the landscape. See the land as we see it, hear its stories, and feel its heartbeat as we journey with the Rainbow Serpent back in time across the ever-changing beauty of Ngunnawal Country.

Richie Allan

Ngunnawal Knowledge Holder

Brought to you by

At the heart of Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation’s purpose is our desire to inspire and enable all Australians to contribute to the reconciliation of the nation. We are an Aboriginal organisation, owned and controlled by the Traditional Owners of the Ngunnawal Nation. We were established approximately twenty years ago, firstly in a voluntary capacity and then professionally. We have extensive experience in modelling workplace and education programs. We collaborate with Aboriginal organisations, and the education and corporate sector to provide training and support services, encapsulating cultural competency. We also specialise in the Reconciliation space, with expertise in Reconciliation Action Plan development, implementation and audit. We work with organisations to deliver both theory-based and practical programs. Our methods are reaping rewards within the corporate world and providing a better understanding between the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities.

Urban Sanctuary modular gardening system.

Thor’s Hammer have contributed all the recycled timber planter boxes for the garden beds along The Ngunnawal Dreamtime Pathway. These modular units are intended to represent the scales of the rainbow serpent as it crashes in and out of the earth.

ShapeScaper’s 230mm Redcor Steel Garden Edging is a flexible weathering steel product that develops a protective rusty “corten” patina, offering earthy rustic tones with smooth-flowing or angular bends. ShapeScaper has contributed this edging to the Head and Tail of the Rainbow Serpent.

Cool Country Natives are Canberra’s only native retail nursery. From tube stock to advanced specimens, they offer a wide range of native Australian plants perfect for cool climate gardens. They’re proud to have supplied all the native plant species featured across the six garden beds of the Ngunnawal Dreamtime Pathway, celebrating connection to Country and the beauty of our unique flora.

CIT Horticulture students have helped bring to life the Dreamtime story of the Rainbow Serpent, calibrating with Floriade, Richie Allen and Cool Country Natives, building connections throughout the process and honouring the long tradition of storytelling by First Nations people. Students planted the gardens to depict this story of creation through the vibrant and ever-changing textures and colour of Australian Native Plants from across the country. This installation demonstrates the creativity and skills of CIT horticulture students, while celebrating the enduring wisdom of first nations storytelling through a living artwork that visitors can experience and enjoy.