The Bunyip
In the swamps and billabongs of Australia, Aboriginal stories tell of the bunyip, a creature that lurks in deep water and calls at night.
What was reported
Aboriginal peoples across south-eastern Australia tell of a creature that lives in swamps, rivers and waterholes, often called the bunyip. Descriptions vary from place to place, but it is often said to be large, to live in deep water, and to make a booming call at night.
In the 1840s, European settlers reported sightings and strange calls, and in 1846 a skull found on the Murrumbidgee River was displayed in Sydney as a bunyip skull, drawing large crowds.
Explanations offered
The 1846 skull was later thought to be that of a deformed foal or calf. Some researchers think the legend may preserve memories of extinct giant marsupials, such as the diprotodon, or of seals that occasionally swam far up rivers. The booming call may have come from birds such as the bittern.
- When
- Told for generations
- Where
- Murray River region, south-eastern Australia
- Witnesses
- Aboriginal communities and early settlers
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.