For Boonwurrung people, in what will become Melbourne, there were separate roles and responsibilities in society for bagurrk (men), guleeny (women) and bubup (children).
Knowledge, power and responsibility were both inherited and earned, and shared between guleeny (women) and bagurrk (men) according to the strict laws of Bundjil.
When things went wrong and the bagurrk (women) were angry they would tell the men, 'obey the laws of Bundjil or you will turn into an old man barraeemal (emu)'.
The barraeemal (emu) was a funny _g_oyeep (bird), too big to fly with short useless wings.
But apart from its funny appearance, the old man barraeemal (emu) had been cursed and was forever under the control and whim of the female barraeemal (emu).
The Boonwurrung could tell when the barraeemal (emu) was ready to lay her teerrandeerr by looking at the turt (stars).
If you look at the Milky Way during Manameet you will see a barraeemal (emu) getting ready to sit on her nest.
When the barraeemal (emu) is sitting right upon the Milky Way, that is the time to lay.
The female barraeemal (emu) cared little for her responsibilities.
When the time came for the teerrandeerr (eggs) to be laid she chose a place out in the scrubby bush and laid the large green teerrandeerr (eggs).
With little regard she then left the teerrandeerr (eggs) and all motherly responsibility.
It was up to the old man barraeemal (emu) to take over her role.
The first thing he would have to do was cover the teerrandeerr (eggs) to protect them.
Then he would begin to sit on them to keep them warm until the young would hatch out in August and September.
Once the female barraeemal (emu) laid her teerrandeerr (eggs) she would trot off - looking for another old man barraeemal to flirt with.
She knew she could do this because for at least the next six months her husband would be busy minding the nest and raising the chicks.
Poor old man barraeemal (emu).
He had to sit on that nest for a long time and that left him with little time to eat.
The Boonwurrung guleeny (men) never hunted the old man barraeemal (emu) during this season.
Not only did they feel sorry for him doing all the work of the female, but his meat would have little fat and be too skinny and tough to eat.
But the Boonwurrung bagurrk (women) did know how to track the old man barraeemal (emu) and steal his teerrandeerr (eggs) when he left his nest to hunt for food.
The old man barraeemal (emu) tried many tricks to stop the Boonwurrung bagurrk (women) from stealing his teerrandeerr (eggs).
He would disguise his footprints by brushing his tail over the ground.
Or he would walk on his toes so as to not leave any footprints.
He would also cover the nest in bushes, making it too hard to find.
He would scare off the Boonwurrung bagurrk (women) by making a drumming noise - a noise not unlike that of the bull roarer that the Boonwurrung guleeny (men) used to scare bagurrk away from their ceremonies.
The old man barraeemal (emu) sat on the nest until the young chicks hatched and then had to look after them as the female barraeemal (emu) continued to frolic with her friends.
As the chicks grew older the old man barraeemal (emu) finally got some peace.
But he had only a few months of peace before once again he would be forced to take over the role of the female for yet another year.