Dirrangun

Some people say that Dirrangun is a witch, That she's mean and cunning and Brings you all the mischief in the world. Others say that she's friendly. But she's a very old woman and She has long hair down to her knees. Dirrangun is well-known near Grafton and along the north coast of New South Wales. Both the Bunjalung and Githavul people speak of her and of her connection with local landmarks. She is a powerful woman. Dirrangun contains two stories - one told by Ethan Williams and one by Lucy Daley. It forms part of the oral storytelling tradition and is faithful to each storyteller's voice. These narratives originally appeared in The Nearest the White Man Gets, a group of stories and poems collected by Roland Robinson. Now illustrated by Bronwyn Bancroft, the woman, Dirrangun, takes on pictorial form. Powerful and emotional, Bronwyn's insight into the past draws the reader into a better understanding of the Bunjalung and Githavul stories.