Once upon a Dreamtime… there was a small girl who lived in the Australian desert. She had beautiful deep brown skin. She played carefree beneath the hot bright sun. She played beneath an endless blue sky, on an infinite red ochre plain. Her name was Ruby Japajara. She had a large tribal group which hunted animals for their food. Her tribe had many stories, dances, songs and ceremonies. They gathered seeds, fruits and nuts in the deserts and coastal lands. They were wealthy and yet they had no money.

Once upon a Dreamtime Ruby Japajara was playing happily in a dry creek bed when she saw a Spirit. “Hello”, the pale white boy said. “My name’s Jimmy – Jimmy Cook” …”I am the Spirit of Things to Come…”

Ruby Japajara looked puzzled…

“And this”, said little Jimmy Cook, This must be Currency Creek”.

Ruby Japajara had no idea what she was talking about. This was her land of Dreaming.

“Here, Ruby Japajara…I see you have a handful of honey-ants…”

“I’ll exchange them for this..”

And from his hands hidden behind his back he gave her one Feather-Tailed Possum. Ruby Japajara ran home a little frightened, with some surprise and wonderment and one Feather-Tailed Possum

Once upon a Dreamtime… Ruby Japajara returned to Currency Creek and once again her play was interrupted by the Spirit of Things to Come, Jimmy Cook. Ruby Japajara told Jimmy Cook a few things about her land and young Jimmy Cook told Ruby Japajara a few things about his. Then, out of the blue Jimmy Cook spoke earnestly to Ruby Japajara: Ruby Japajara – I see you have two Feather Tailed Possums! “Well, two Feather Tailed Possums equals one Frilled Neck Lizard! True, the girl thought.  Frilled Neck Lizards were harder to catch than Possums!  Ruby Japajara walked home with the Frilled Neck Lizard, quietly thinking…to where is all this leading?

Once upon a Dreamtime Ruby Japajara returned to Currency Creek and she was not at all surprised to find the Spirit of Jimmy Cook lazing in the sun. “One Echidna”, he declared. You’ll get one echidna for either Five Feather Tailed Possums, or two Frilled Neck lizards with a single Feather Tailed Possum.

The next time  Ruby Japajara returned to Currency Creek Jimmy Cook had an extremely self satisfied look on his face as he carefully revealed what was behind his back.

“One Lyre Bird.” he said.

But it will cost you:

“Ten Feather Tailed Possums”

or

“Five Frilled Neck Lizards”

or

“Two Echidnas”

Ruby Japajara was impressed, after all, one Lyre Bird in the hand was worth two in the Bush.

Once upon a dreamtime Ruby Japajara returned to Currency Creek to find the waters flowing.  There, on the Joseph Banks stood one rather muddy Jimmy Cook struggling to hold a large sleek and slippery Platypus.

“One Platypus”, said Jimmy.

“Its worth” he said:

“Two Lyre Birds”

or

“Four Echidnas”

or

“Ten Frilled Neck Lizards”

or

“Twenty Feather Tailed Possums”

Once upon a Dreamtime Ruby Japajara returned to Currency Creek to find Jimmy Cook offering something less tangible than a Platypus or a Lyre Bird. A shield of the nation or clan, a symbol of their unity for times of war was a Coat Of Arms. The Australian Coat of Arms had a Kangaroo and Emu beside a shield of the six states.  And that, reckoned young Jimmy, was worth the princely sum of Five Lyre Birds…

or

Ten Echidnas

or

Twenty Five Frilled Neck Lizard

or

Fifty Feather Tailed Possums

Once upon a Dreamtime… Ruby Japajara made her way to Currency Creek with a Kangaroo, only to find that Captain Jim had set up shop.

“One Kangaroo“, he declared with a glint in his eye.

That would be worth

Two Coats of Arms

or

Five Platypi

or

Ten Lyre Birds

or

Twenty Echidnas

or

Fifty Frilled Neck Lizards

or

One Hundred Feather Tailed Possums.

“Well”, thought Ruby Japajara. All before her Jimmy Cook, The Spirit of Things to Come, had laid out a decimal system of value leading up to a Kangaroo which was  worth One Hundred Feather Tailed Possums. And who could argue with him?  Wasn’t this trade all measured, reasonable and fair? Wasn’t this land terra nullius? “No.”  Ruby Japajara heard echoing in the wind. It was the elder Uncle Japajara.

“No, our people were here first”

And these words of wisdom of Uncle Japajara were as infinite as the red ochre plains on which they stood …And these words were worth more than…

Two Kangaroos

or

Four Coats of Arms

or

Ten Platypi

or

Twenty Lyre Birds

or

Forty Echidnas

or

One Hundred Frilled Neck Lizards

or

Two Hundred Feather Tailed Possums

Once upon a Dreamtime…

The end

Once upon a Dreamtime ; Story by Richard O’Brien © 2002

ILLUSTRATED ONCE UPON A DREAMTIME PG 1