Gawngan and the Marriage Tree

<p>Gawngan had almost got what she wanted. She just had one last obstacle in her way... the Marriage Tree challenge!</p><p>Set on the Far North Coast of NSW on the coastal lands around present day Ballina and Evan's Head 'Gawngan and the Marriage Tree' tells the story of Gawngan a young woman who desperately wants to be free from an arranged marriage to a bully. The story revolves around the Bundjalung custom that dubay-mir (young women) could have marriages annulled if they successfully climbed a special tree and removed a set number of branches from it.</p><p>Can Gawngan climb the enormous tree and remove the branches so she can be rid of Dangan forever and be free to marry her childhood sweetheart Balagaan?</p><p>The story follows on from events in 'The Magpie and the Snake' a story set in the 1820s that weaves local history and Bundjalung myths together to celebrate the rich culture practices and lore of the Nyangbal people of Bullinaa.</p><p><br></p><p><br></p>