Tibrogargan and Beerwah had many children. One day when Tibrogargan
was gazing out to sea he noticed a great rising of the waters.
Hurriedly gathering his younger children to flee to the safety of the
mountains he called out to Coonowrin his eldest to help his mother
Beerwah who was again with child. Looking back Tibrogargan was greatly
angered to see his son running off alone. He pursued Coonowrin and
raising his club struck the latter such a mighty blow that it
dislocated his neck and he has never been able to straighten it since.
When the flood subsided and the family returned to the plains the other
children teased Coonowrin about his crooked neck. Feeling ashamed
Coonowrin went over to Tibrogargan and asked his forgiveness. But
Tibrogargan, filled with shame at his son's cowardice, could do nothing
but weep copious tears, which trickling along the ground formed a
stream, the Tibrogargan Creek, which flowed into the sea.
Then Coonowrin went to his brothers and sisters but they also wept at
the shame of their brother's cowardice. The lamentations of the family
explain the presence today of the numerous small streams in the area.
Tibrogargan then went to Coonowrin asking him why he had deserted
Beerwah to which Coonowrin replied that as Beerwah was the biggest of
them all she should be able to take care of herself. He did not realise
that Beerwah was again pregnant which was the reason for her great
size. Then Tibrogargan turned his back on Coonowrin and vowed he would
never look at him again.
Even today we see the family in the
Glasshouse Mountains. The children are the nine smaller ones; Beerwah
the mother is the largest mountain for it takes a long time to give
birth to a mountain; Tibrogargan gazes far out to sea, and never
looks round at Coonowrin, the tall mountain with the bent peak who
hangs his head and cries, his tears forming the river that runs out to
sea.
Click below to return to
