Australian Legends

Australian Legends

by C. W. Peck


This is a collection of Aboriginal folklore, and stories about Aborigines, primarily from the New South Wales region of Australia, on the southeast coast. Unlike Parker, we know next to nothing about Peck other than the fact that he was a botanical enthusiast. It is fairly certain that at the time he wrote there were very few remaining native Australians in that region. So his framing story of an aboriginal 'princess' (the Aborigines have no such class distinctions) dropping by his 'tyre' shop seems a bit improbable. His writing ability was far inferior to Parker, and his obsession with the Watarah flower gets a bit tedious. However, the stories related here largely cross-check with other accounts, so folkloric aspects of this book are probably factual.