Ancient Aboriginal Traditions

Copyright © Rex Gilroy 2003

Moving on to South Australia we come to a state where, like Victoria, European settlers’ tales of ‘panther’ encounters date back to the 19th century and are still commonplace today.

Ancient Aboriginal traditions from over a wide area of the state tell of the giant black furry monster that terrorised the tribespeople in the long-ago ‘Dreamtime’. They say these shiny, black-furred carnivores roam the Flinders Ranges, where they have dwelt since the Dreamtime, living upon the marsupial population, attacking and eating anyone who happens to come upon their lairs.

Mt Gambier 1975

Copyright © Rex Gilroy 2003

Back in 1987 the author was informed by Mr Quentin Higgs, of an experience he had with one of these creatures back in 1975.

“I was near Mt Gambier [in the state’s south-east] fishing with a mate. While we were sitting on an embankment overlooking a creek, I noticed a large black-furred animal walking along the opposite bank. The country hereabouts is low scrub. The animal, seeing us, bounded over rocks along the creek bank, then up into a large, dead, fallen hollow gum tree trunk.

We estimated the animal, which was cat-like in appearance, had a body 1.22m in length, with a tail about 76cm to 92cm long. The animal stood 61cm on all fours.”

It was an animal of this description - but displaying large canine teeth from its snarling mouth - that confronted two bushwalkers in the northern Flinders Ranges one morning in 1966, as they rounded the bend of a mountain track.

• NSW Agriculture Report on information available on the reported large black cat in the Blue Mountains. Prepared by: Bill Atkinson, Agricultural Protection Officer * Click Here *