The mythical creature of the Australian bush was a fairly new concept in 1850. Only five years before, the word first appeared in print (in the Geelong Advertiser), who used an indigenous term to describe some incredible-looking fossils discovered in the area. A strange animal skull found on the Murrumbidgee River was exhibited in Sydney two years later as possibly that of a bunyip.
Then, in 1850, a lady of a respectable settler family happened by a lagoon near the Logan River and saw a creature quite unlike anything she had seen before. Free settlement of the area had only commenced eight years prior, and the country and its wildlife had not yet been discovered (by Europeans, that is) and classified. To early settlers, a bunyip was quite a plausible notion.
Here is her story:
THE BUNYIP — OR SOMETHING LIKE IT, — So many stories, credible and incredible, have lately been told of the appearance of the so-called “Bunyip,” that the subject has become rather a delicate one to touch upon; but the following particulars concerning an aquatic monster seen about a fortnight ago on the station of T. L. M. Prior, Esq., J.P., at the Logan River, may be relied on, as coming from persons entitled to the fullest credit.
It appears that a lady, a member of Mr. Prior’s family, was walking near a large lagoon at the head station, when she observed on the surface of the water a living animal of extraordinary shape and dimensions. The head appeared to be elongated and flattened, like the bill of a platypus. The body, from the place where it joined the head, to about five feet backward, seemed like that of a gigantic eel, being of about the ordinary thickness of a man’s body. Beyond this it was of much larger apparent size, having the appearance of being coiled into innumerable folds. Beyond those coils was what seemed to be the tail of the animal, which had somewhat the shape of the tail of a fish but is described as having the semi-transparent appearance of a bladder. The head, which was small and narrow in proportion to the size of the body, was furnished with what seemed to be two horns, which were quite white.
Under the circumstances it was, of course, difficult to judge accurately of the whole length of the animal, but, by comparison with other objects, it is supposed that the parts visible above the water must have been thirty feet in extent. The spectator of this strange sight, being naturally somewhat alarmed, made her way to the house, and returned to the spot accompanied by another lady and a servant woman. By this time the greater portion of the monster had disappeared beneath the surface of the water. The tail alone was visible, and that sunk soon afterwards.
AI image generators had fun with the lady’s description of the creature.
From subsequent inquiries made by Mr. Prior, it appears that this lagoon has long enjoyed the reputation of being the home of a monster answering the above imperfect description, and which is stated to have been seen more than once by men on the station.
It is certain that the aboriginal natives will not bathe in the lagoon, and that they have evinced much fear of something that they believe to be an inhabitant of its waters. The lagoon is, we are informed, nearly a mile in circumference, and of great depth. Mr. Prior has himself sounded in some parts of it to the depth of ninety feet, without finding bottom. There is, therefore, “ample space and verge enough” for more than one of these huge denizens of the still waters to live in retirement.
Thanks, AI, but you’re getting a bit weird.
Whatever may be the natural character and attributes of this extraordinary animal, we have some hopes of their being shortly made known, for we are informed that a regular crusade is being organized against it, and every preparation made to secure it, if possible, dead or alive. We shall not fail to lay before our readers any further particulars that may be gathered upon this interesting subject.
Moreton Bay Courier (Brisbane, Qld.: 1846 – 1861), Saturday 9 February 1850, page 2
More than one person has got a sight of the bunyip, or its head rather, and a fearful looking object it must be as described to me, as it rises slowly and cautiously above the water. The apparition is only for an instant, as should human eye be upon it, it disappears as mysteriously as it came.
Alex Warder in the Queenslander, 12 December 1868, p11.
We have conversed with two persons who formerly resided in that vicinity, and they assure us it is an undoubted fact that the aboriginal natives are aware of the existence of these animals, whatever they may be, whether eels, otters, or seals, and it is said nothing will induce them to bathe in these waterholes.
North Australian, 19 May 1857.
I don’t know what she saw, but fish can be big. Really big.
Moreton Bay and More 