Representations of the Metaphysical in Australian Children’s Stories: The Seals of Lutruwita

Abstract

<p><i>The Seals of Lutruwita</i> is a creative practice project that considers the ways Australian stories for young readers engage with the metaphysical aspects of the Australian landscape. Through a novel and an exegesis, the project draws on two sets of traditional cultural narratives: Australian Aboriginal Dreaming stories of the Bunyip, and Irish/Scottish legends of the Selkie. Motifs common to these stories, such as waterways, maternal ties, and migration are used to explore aspects of cultural heritage and cross-cultural experiences in Australia. <i>The Seals of Lutruwita</i> tells the story of an Irish Scots girl, Saoirse, and a Palawa Irish boy, Ernest, who embark on a journey through the Tasmanian wilderness, in search of a Bunyip believed to inhabit the central highlands’ Great Lake. The two seek to save Bunyip from scientists and outlaws chasing financial reward and prestige for her capture. Outside the bounds of Hobart Town, a place where class and cultural identity keenly defines settler society, the two find a common ground through their connection to the metaphysical dimension. The unseen energies of the land prompt the sharing of stories from their lineage, and ancient stories blend in new ways.</p> <p>This exegesis explores the expansion of cultural and ecological awareness through storytelling, the role of storytellers in colonised spaces, and the ways in which stories build bridges between individuals. In it, I reflect on my own process of writing, research, and representation of child protagonists in the Australian landscape, seeking greater connection with my own cultural stories, and deepening my understanding of the representation of Aboriginal Australian perspectives in literature. I discuss the ways in which these considerations have informed my creative work and sparked a hope that what we choose to include in our stories might alter the landscape, even in small ways.</p>