An Aboriginal God in colonial New South Wales

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Contents

1. God or no God?
2. Colonial S.E. Australia
3. Creation story
4. Stairway to Heaven
5. Debbil debbil 
6. Glossary 
7. References

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If God is the Alpha and Omega, then God has always been everywhere. So why wouldn’t God be here in Australia? You have theological wrestling to do if you say that this was a godless place, and that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were heathens... Caring for Country is caring for creation. (Wolfe 2021) 

1. God or no God?

When investigating Australian Aboriginal spirituality and the concept of a God-like figure, Google AI tells us:

Aboriginal Australian spirituality doesn't have a single, universally recognized "God" figure like in some Western religions. Instead, it centers around ancestral creator spirits and powerful beings who are often associated with the Dreamtime, a creation period believed to be central to Aboriginal cosmology. These beings, sometimes depicted as humans, animals, or other natural elements, are revered as the creators of the world and its inhabitants. (Google AI 25 August 2025)

Of course, this statement is wrong and denigrates the depth of Aboriginal spiritual beliefs. In fact, the description reminds one of Pantheism, whereby God - the Creator, Source, The One, Cosmic Consciousness - is seen in everything, in the universe and in nature or, as Aboriginal society refers to the latter, as Country. Rather than being anti-religious, this definition expands upon the, for example, limited Catholic definition of God and the Blessed Trinity, to give it a universality that is fundamental and foundational, before which there was only Nothing. The Australian Aboriginal belief in an "ancestral creator spirit" is nothing less than the pantheistic God figure. 

Aboriginal Australia, prior to the arrival of the Christian British invaders in January 1788, had a clear concept of God, of an intelligent creator being similar to all other societies around the world. To deny this, as the Google definition does, is perhaps a carry over of the original British racist view of the local Indigenous people as "primitive savages" rather than an advanced civilisation which happened to be close with nature and Country, but not technologically advanced or socially constructed in a manner near identical to most Western societies during the late eighteenth century.

In southeastern Australia, for example, the God figure was called Baiame,. It was also known as the creator god and sky father. This is the closest to the traditional God of the Christian churches that arrived in Australia after 1788 and was often taken up by Aboriginal society as it was closest to their own long held beliefs (Wikipedia). This flies in the face of the traditional narrative that Indigenous society was "godless", without religion, and therefore evil by nature. In fact, Australia was referred to as "the most godless place under heaven" (Cruickshank 2021). Another New South Wales God figure was Dharamoolun, cited as the supreme being and primordial god of the Yuin people of the south coast of New South Wales (National Native Title Tribunal 2018).

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2. Colonial southeastern Australia

Q: Why this time and place?

Ans.: Because this was the location of the earliest European settlement in Australia, coinciding with the arrival of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove in January 1788 and with it the appearance of the first written records on Australian Aboriginal cultural and spiritual beliefs. This remained so for at least half a century, until the expansion into Victoria and Tasmania and north to Queensland. Therefore the colonial New South Wales period and place is the focus of the present article.

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3. Creation story

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Bangawarra Nura – Story of creation 

In the beginning from the creation time Gurugal (long ago) there existed only minak (darkness). Biami / Dharamulan the great creator gathered his dulumarh (magic) from the 4 directions of the Garrayura (sky world) and from the dust of Birrung (the stars) he Bangawarra (made/crafted) the Warawal (Milky Way – Universe). Biami / Dharamulan dulumarh created a marri guwiyang (great fire) to light up the darkness and gili (shine) throughout the world. In this way he created the bad (water), giba (rocks), djaramada (plants) and guwara (wind). As Biami / Dharamulan gave life to the world he spun his creations around the Marri Guwing and carved the song lines into the bebul (land) and Garrigarang Nura (Saltwater Country). In the Garrigarang Nura (Saltwater Country), he created the ancestor beings known as Gawura (whale), Guruwin (shark), Wulumay (snapper), Waradah (waratah) and many plants and animals that exist within Gadigal cosmology and kinship system we call moodjingal. Today the Gadigal, Eora, Darug, Gwegal, Dharrawal and many clan groups follow the teachings given to us by Biami / Dharamulan and maintain the cultural practices that we continue to practice on nura (Country).

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4. A Stairway to Heaven

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5. Debil debil

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6. Glossary

The following are Aboriginal words presented in this article. 

• Baiame
• Biami
• Darug - clan group 
• Dharamulan
• Dharrawal - clan group 
• Eora - clan group  
• Gadigal - clan group  
• Gurugal - creation time, long ago 
• Gwegal - clan group
• minak - darkness  
• nura - Country

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7. References

Baiame - The maker of all things, Country Life and Death [blog], 18 December 2013.

Breward, Ian, Australia: the most godless place under heaven, Melbourne College of Divinity, Beacon Hill Books, 1988, 111p. 

Cruickshank, Joanna, Religious freedom in 'the most godless place under heaven': making policy for religion in Australia, History Australia: Research Forum on History and Policy, Issue 1, 1 March 2021, 42-52. 

Dixon, Nadeena, Bangawarra Nura - Creation Story, Reconciliation Action Plan, The Rocks Discovery Museum, Sydney, n.d.

Organ, Michael, The Bunan ceremony of New South Wales, R.H. Mathews, 1896, blogger.com, 3 August 2025. 

South Coast People - Application Details, National Native Title Tribunal, Canberra, 30 May 2018.

Wikipedia, Baiame, Wikipedia, accessed 17 August 2025.

-----, Dharamoolun, Wikipedia, accessed 17 August 2025.

-----, Pantheism, Wikipedia, accessed 31 August 2025. 

Wolfe, Naomi, 'It is good': a reflection on land, healing and hope, VOX, University of Divinity, 1 July 2021. 

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Last updated: 31 August 2025

Michael Organ, Australia