Boobera Lagoon is not just water held in earth. It is a resting place. For the Gamilaraay people, Boobera Lagoon is where Garriya — the rainbow serpent — rests. Garriya is the great spiritual being who created the lagoon and the surrounding waterways. The shape of the land, the flow of water, the life that gathers there — all speak to that creation. Because of this, the lagoon is understood as powerful. It is not an ordinary place. Gamilaraay people warn against going near the water after dark. Respect is part of survival. Respect is part of knowing where you stand. Boobera Lagoon was also a site for the final stages of male initiation ceremony. Ceremony requires care — reliable fresh water, nearby food, and the capacity to gather safely. Around the lagoon, kangaroos, emus and fish were plentiful. The land could sustain community while young men were guided into responsibility and adulthood. The ground itself holds evidence of long presence. Millions of stone artefacts lie around Boobera Lagoon — adzes, flake tools and stone grinding implements made from local stone and transported silica. For thousands of years, Aboriginal people shaped tools here. Each artefact is a mark of continuity — of hands working, teaching, surviving and thriving. Since the 1970s, Boobera Lagoon has also been a place of advocacy. Aboriginal people campaigned for its protection, recognising the damage caused by motorised water sports. After many years of persistence, a ban was secured. Today, local Aboriginal people are represented on the committee that manages the lagoon — ensuring cultural authority is part of its care. Boobera Lagoon remains what it has always been: a place of power, story and responsibility. A resting place for Garriya. A place where ceremony once shaped young lives. A place where the ground still speaks of thousands of years of presence. When we speak of Boobera, we speak carefully. We remember that some places are not just visited — they are respected.