Roland has painted durnbuhmanj and namarnkol. Durnbuhmanj (Black Bream, Hephaestus fuliginosus) live in fresh water. Durnbuhmanj is like Burd (Bream), but it’s bigger and black. We catch lots of Black Bream with fishing lines in rivers and creeks where the water is flowing. We cook it on the fire or in the hot ashes, or in a traditional ground oven. It’s good eating and has lots of flesh on it, it tastes a lot like other freshwater fish.

Namarnkol, the barramundi, is a very important fish for us Bininj (Aboriginal people). Namarnkol are found in the ocean, in floodwaters, and in freshwater billabongs, rivers and creeks. In the old days, people used to spear them with djalakirradj (three-pronged fish spears) and walabi (traditional triangular nets). Nowadays, we catch them with fishing lines and modern nets. Namarnkol are most easily caught from the end of the monsoon (March -April) until the humid “build up” season (October-November). There are sites in lots of clan countries where the ancestral Barramundi placed itself as a Dreaming. Men and women will say “My Dreaming is Barramundi, it placed itself in my country”. 

Durnbuhmanj nakka djenj kare kore kukku kubowinjku. Durnbuhmanj karohrok yiman burd dja nungan nakimuk burlerri djenj. Nawern dunbuhmanj karrimang wakkidj kore mankabo dja kore manwanjdjad kore kaborlobme manbu kukku. Wanjh bu bolkkime wakkidj karrimang nawu dunbuhmanj. Karrikinje kore kunak kuwilk kuyirrke dja kore kunkerri karrikerribun. Durnbuhmanj nakka kanjkimuk kanjmak bu ngarringun karohrok yiman nawern djenj nawu kare kore kubowinjku kukku.