The Story of the Gymea Lily

Retold with the generous permission of the estate of Melva Jean Roberts and of course the Ancestors and their families who originally shared the tale of the creation of the Gymea Lily.

The Gymea lily is indigenous to the Sydney basin region and the word Gymea is derived from the Eora language. It is used by Aboriginal people as food, and in traditional medicine to promote strength and endurance.

This creation story tells of a tribal warrior, Bullana. One day, while out hunting and collecting food, heavy rains came. Bullana and his people took shelter in a cave above the valley floor, however the rains loosed the stones around the entrance to the cave and all were trapped by a landslide. As the fittest and strongest, only Bullana was able to escape through a narrow crevice. He was determined to do all in his power to keep his people alive.

He would hunt, fish and bring water to his tribe trapped in the cave, day after day. The physical effort and weight of responsibility were enormous. Exhaustion caused him to fall into the ravine where he broke many bones, but he persisted, trying to crawl to hunt and fish and sustain his people.

In the end, the effort was too much, and those in the cave were dying. Bullana finally collapsed in his beloved valley, amongst the trees and plants there. His hand reached out and grasped a small plant, and as his spirit left his body, the plant grew masses of long broad leaves, and the great white flowers at the centre were stained red with his blood.

Like many Creation stories it is an ultimately tragic tale, but it tells of strength, courage and perseverance in the face of adversity.