The Owl "Chinute Chinute"

Chinute Chinute

"Chinute Chinute is a Larrakia
 [Australian aboriginal tribe] spiritual
 ancestor who exists within the sacred
 site known as Stokes Hill adjacent to
 this walkway. This ancestor manifests
 itself from time to time as the Tawny
 Frogmouth [owl] and stands as sentinel
 to the Waterfront area."

      - on the plaque next to the statue,
         in the Darwin city centre,
         Northern Territory, Australia

 This bronze casting was by
 Koolpinyah Richard Barnes
 and Urban Art Projects
 2009


 Behind the statue, you can see the back
 of the Law Court buildings. It may even
 be the Supreme Court  :)

Stokes Hill

"Larrakia sacred site:
  Stokes Hill

  Larrakia history
  and naming of places
  within the landscape
  goes back to the
  beginning of time.

  Stokes Hill was named
  after Captain John Lort
  Stokes, one of the
  officers who in 1839
  arrived in the harbour
  on the HMS Beagle.                    



Stokes named the harbour in honour of Charles Darwin and it is now named Darwin Harbour.

Larrakia were the first people to live in this area and know "Stokes Hill" to have within it a
Larrakia spiritual ancestor. This ancestor is known as "Chinute Chinute" and manifests itself
from time to time as a Tawny Frog Mouthed Owl.

The hill is a registered sacred site and no work is to take place on it. Please respect this area.

Text by Koolpinyah Barnes 11/05/2009"

     -  on the plaque next to Stokes Hill


This hill is actually quite a few minutes walk down from the statue.
The road depicted in the above photo, continues on just out of view and becomes part of and
goes along the top of Stokes Hill Wharf, in the Darwin Harbour area.


(c) Katherine Stuart 2014