Gawngan and the Marriage Tree

Gawngan had almost got what she wanted. She just had one last obstacle in her way... the Marriage Tree challenge

Set on the Far North Coast of NSW on the coastal lands around present day Ballina and Evan's Head, 'Gawngan and the Marriage Tree' tells the story of Gawngan, a young woman, who desperately wants to be free from an arranged marriage to a bully. The story revolves around the Bundjalung custom that dubay-mir (young women) could have marriages annulled if they successfully climbed a special tree and removed a set number of branches from it.

Can Gawngan climb the enormous tree and remove the branches so she can be rid of Dangan forever and be free to marry her childhood sweetheart, Balagaan?

The story follows on from events in 'The Magpie and the Snake' a story set in the 1820s that weaves local history and Bundjalung myths together to celebrate the rich culture, practices and lore of the Nyangbal people of Bullinaa.