A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.
Overview
Dinewan, the emu, begins as a flying bird whose size gives her royal precedence. Goomblegubbon, the jealous bustard, hides her wings and claims renouncing them proves superiority. Dinewan and her mate cut off their wings, only to discover the deception when the bustard flies away.
Dinewan retaliates by hiding ten of her twelve chicks and claiming two receive enough food to grow large. The bustard kills ten of her own offspring. Dinewan then reveals her complete brood and declares the rivals’ lasting conditions: emu flightlessness and bustards producing only two young. These are the narrative’s etiological claims, rather than a modern zoological account.
Origins & earliest records
K. Langloh Parker, Australian Legendary Tales (London: David Nutt, 1896), Dinewan the Emu, and Goomblegubbon the Bustard, pp. 1–5.
Records & interpretation
Complete selected English retelling inspected; Parker’s preface and 1896 title page checked.
Selected bibliography
Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.
- 01
Australian Legendary Tales: Dinewan the Emu, and Goomblegubbon the Bustard, pp. 1–5
Selected complete tale, not the whole collection, inspected.
Family & connections
A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.
References
Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.
- Primary collected textParker 1896: Dinewan the Emu, and Goomblegubbon the BustardResearch access: 2026-10-05
Image credits
A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.