Three brothers, two cultures, one history

Three Brothers

According to an often quoted account of the legend given by Harry Buchanan in 1975, there were 3 brothers who lived near the Camden Haven River near the sea. As part of their initiation, they were required to live alone in the bush for several months before they would be recognised as fully initiated.

After being in the bush for several months they began to worry about their mother and father, so the youngest brother volunteered to go and check up on them. Just as he left the camp he saw an old witch but paid her no attention. He told his parents about her when he reached them, and his father gave him a special boomerang, and told him to quickly return to his brother's camp to warn them that the witch would try to kill them.

The youngest brother headed back to his brother's camp but did not make it there by night fall, at first light he continued his journey but the witch was at the camp when he arrived. He asked the witch what she had done to his two brothers, and she replied that she had eaten them and would eat him too. Before the witch had a chance to do anything, the youngest brother hit her on the head with the boomerang and split her in half. He buried half her body in the river and half in the sea. Then returned to his brother's camp and gathered up their bones. He buried their bones where the North and Middle Brother mountains now stand, then went to where the South Brother mountain now stands and died. That night a mountain rose up where each body lay to mark the tragedy. The mountains were then named after the Three Brothers.

The Three Brothers Mountains are a spiritual place for Aboriginal people, who feel a connection to their country and their ancestors when they go there. The mountains are visible from all around, and the local Aboriginal people believe that the mountains protect them.

A new culture on the shore

In 1770, Captain James Cook, aboard the HMS Endeavour, embarked on a momentous voyage along the east coast of Australia. As he sailed northwards, he encountered breathtaking landscapes, which would forever alter the course of history. During this journey, near the location of present-day Port Macquarie, Cook and his crew were greeted by a remarkable sight – three majestic mountains rising proudly from the horizon.

Fascinated by the panorama, Captain Cook meticulously documented the encounter in his journal, aptly naming the three peaks the "Three Brothers." To his surprise, Cook later learned that the local Birpai Aboriginal people had already bestowed the very same name upon these awe-inspiring mountains, long before his arrival.

This convergence of naming held significant cultural resonance, signifying a connection between the British explorer and the Indigenous inhabitants of the land. It served as a testament to the shared appreciation for nature's beauty and a recognition of the ancient knowledge possessed by the Birpai people.

One History is being lived?

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