Australian Legends

by C. W. Peck

[1925]

This is a collection of Aboriginal folklore, and stories about Aborigines, primarily from the New South Wales region of Australia, on the southeast coast. Unlike Parker, we know next to nothing about Peck other than the fact that he was a botanical enthusiast. It is fairly certain that at the time he wrote there were very few remaining native Australians in that region. So his framing story of an aboriginal 'princess' (the Aborigines have no such class distinctions) dropping by his 'tyre' shop seems a bit improbable. His writing ability was far inferior to Parker, and his obsession with the Watarah flower gets a bit tedious. However, the stories related here largely cross-check with other accounts, so folkloric aspects of this book are probably factual.

Title Page
Contents
Prelude: A Princess
A Royal Visit
The First Waratah
The First Gymea Or Gigantic Lily
Why The Turtle Has No Tail
The Flood
How The Waratah Got Its Honey
Why The Sun Sets
What The Moon Is
How The White Waratah Became Red
How The Sky Was Lifted Up
The First Kangaroo
The Second Kangaroo Story
The Struggle For Supremacy Between Birds And Animals
The Dianella Berry
How The Pistils of the Waratah Became Firm
What Makes The Waves
The First Bush Fire
Why Leaves Fall
At Low Tide
The Bubbling Spring
The Salt Lakes
Shooting Stars
Why The Petiole Of The Waratah Is Long
Why The Waratah Is Firm
The First Crayfish
The Clinging Koala
The Smilax
A Star Legend
A Bird Legend
Two Waratah Legends
Another Legend
Mist And A Fringe Flower
Mulgani
The Legend of the Pleiades
The Black Satin
The End: The Aborigines