Crow Country

by

Kate Constable

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on Crow Country makes teaching easy.

The Stone Circle Symbol Analysis

The Stone Circle Symbol Icon

The stone circle that Sadie stumbles upon when she wanders onto the dry lakebed on the Mortlocks’ land in Boort represents the sacred Aboriginal heritage. As the crows that speak to Sadie inform her, this stone circle is “Crow’s place”—it is associated with the ancient ancestral spirit of Waa the Crow, a spirit that is important in Aboriginal culture and religion. The site of the circle, therefore, with its ancient upright stones, is a space that embodies Aboriginal sacred beliefs. It is for this reason that the Mortlocks’ desecration of the site—first in the 1930s, when Gerald Mortlock builds a dam that floods the circle, and in the present day, when both Craig Mortlock and his son Lachie desecrate the site by using it as a leisure space—is such a sacrilege. As white Australians, the Mortlocks have no conception of the spiritual value and importance of the stone circle for Aboriginals. It is left up to Sadie and Walter to protect the site, as it is these two characters who realize the value and importance of the stone circle as a sacred Aboriginal place.

The Stone Circle Quotes in Crow Country

The Crow Country quotes below all refer to the symbol of The Stone Circle. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Prejudice and Discrimination Theme Icon
).
Chapter 1 Quotes

It wasn’t until the last rock was clean and Sadie stood back to survey her work, that she noticed the carvings. The marks were almost blurred into the stone: indistinct, powerful, immeasurably ancient.

Related Characters: Sadie Hazzard
Related Symbols: The Stone Circle
Page Number: 6
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 2 Quotes

But the crow could read the old signs, the old stories. They might be hidden, but they had not vanished. Crow was hidden, too, but he was not gone. Crow was awake. Now it would begin.

Related Characters: Sadie Hazzard, The Crows
Related Symbols: The Stone Circle, Boort
Page Number: 13
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 6 Quotes

“This is a secret place, a story place.” The crow tilted its head. “Crow’s people came to this place. Now they are gone. The stories are always. Who tells Crow’s stories now? Where are the dreams when the dreamers are gone? Where are the stories when no one remembers?’ […] Country remembers. Crow remembers.”

Related Characters: The Crows (speaker), Sadie Hazzard
Related Symbols: The Stone Circle
Page Number: 42
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 7 Quotes

As Sadie whipped the newspaper off the table, an upside-down headline caught her eye – something about a person called Hitler. Her heart gave a peculiar involuntary skip. The date was printed at the top of the page. Friday June 23, 1933.

Related Characters: Sadie Hazzard, Sarah Louise “Sadie” Hazzard
Related Symbols: The Stone Circle
Page Number: 47
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 9 Quotes

Her legs shook; her whole body was racked with shudders. […] She never should have brought Lachie here; she should have protected the secret. Crow’s place.

“Lachie,” she said, with sudden desperation. “Listen, you can’t tell anyone about this place.”

[…] “Okay, mate. It’s your special place, is it? I won’t tell anyone.”

Not my special place, thought Sadie. It belongs to the crows. But she didn’t say it aloud.

Related Characters: Sadie Hazzard (speaker), Lachie Mortlock (speaker), The Crows
Related Symbols: The Stone Circle
Page Number: 67-68
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 12 Quotes

“Well, it is his land, Jimmy,” said Clarry. “Why shouldn’t he build a dam if he wants to?”

[…]

“No!” Jimmy broke away; Sadie could see the fierce light in his eyes. “No. He mustn’t do that.” […] “It’s like - it’d be like me settin’ that church on fire.” Jimmy flung out his arm in the direction of the little weatherboard church. “What would you say if I set the church on fire, hey?”

Related Characters: Jimmy Raven (speaker), Clarry Hazzard (speaker), Sadie Hazzard, Gerald Mortlock, Sarah Louise “Sadie” Hazzard
Related Symbols: The Stone Circle, Boort
Page Number: 90
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 14 Quotes

Wah!” The crow reared up angrily, wings outstretched, and Sadie shrank back. “Do you have no Law? When a man is killed, the death must be punished. When precious things are stolen they must be returned. Are you an infant? Do you know nothing? Tell the story; tell Crow what you see!”

Related Characters: The Crows (speaker), Sadie Hazzard, Jimmy Raven
Related Symbols: The Stone Circle
Page Number: 107
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 15 Quotes

“For our people, the land was created long ago, in the time of the Dreaming, when the ancestral spirits moved across the country. They made the hills and the rivers, the swamps and the waterholes. That’s why our spirit ancestors are so important. They make the land, and the land belongs to them, and they make us, too […] round this country, everything belongs to Bunjil the Eaglehawk, or Waa the Crow.”

Related Characters: Walter (speaker), Sadie Hazzard, Ellie Hazzard, David, The Crows
Related Symbols: The Stone Circle, Boort
Page Number: 116
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 16 Quotes

Craig leaned into David’s face and lowered his voice. “Found something very interesting on my land. Aboriginal artefacts. Wondered if you could tell me what they’d be worth.”

Related Characters: Craig Mortlock (speaker), Sadie Hazzard, David, Lachie Mortlock
Related Symbols: The Stone Circle
Page Number: 120
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 17 Quotes

Mr Mortlock’s hand shot out and twisted into Dad’s shirt. “I’ve killed the bugger, Clarry. I’ve gone and killed him.”

Related Characters: Gerald Mortlock (speaker), Sadie Hazzard, Jimmy Raven, Clarry Hazzard, Sarah Louise “Sadie” Hazzard
Related Symbols: The Stone Circle, Boort
Page Number: 129
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 18 Quotes

“Why are you doing this, Dad? Why?” And then Sadie’s voice had risen to a scream, and Dad grabbed her arm and shook her.

“Be quiet, Sadie, for God’s sake!”

“It’s not right, Dad, you know it!”

“I have to help Gerald; I promised I’d look out for him.”

“And what about Jimmy? Didn’t you promise him, too?” Her voice rose, shrill, hysterical. “Jimmy was murdered! Gerald Mortlock should hang for this!”

Dad slapped her face.

Related Characters: Clarry Hazzard (speaker), Sarah Louise “Sadie” Hazzard (speaker), Sadie Hazzard, Jimmy Raven, Gerald Mortlock
Related Symbols: The Stone Circle, Boort
Page Number: 135
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 20 Quotes

“You should be pleased! Look at all these people, experiencing a bit of Aboriginal culture!” He waved his arm at the men sprawled against the rocks, their boots resting on the carvings, their cans tossed into the centre of the circle.

Related Characters: Craig Mortlock (speaker), Sadie Hazzard, Walter, Lachie Mortlock
Related Symbols: The Stone Circle
Page Number: 157
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 21 Quotes

“The story goes on, as it always goes on. The Law is broken and there is punishment. The dead cannot live again, but what was taken from the clever man must be returned. When the Law is broken the world is broken. The circle must be joined again.”

Related Characters: The Crows (speaker), Sadie Hazzard, Walter, Craig Mortlock, Lachie Mortlock, Jimmy Raven
Related Symbols: The Stone Circle
Page Number: 165
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 24 Quotes

“We can’t leave him here!” Sadie was weeping. “If we leave him here, he will die!” She tried to lift Lachie’s head. He moaned, his face drained of colour.

The story tells itself again...

The three of them were in the grip of Crow’s story, just as Gerald and Clarry and Jimmy had been. But Crow couldn’t see, Crow couldn’t help them. Sadie was the only one who knew; it was all up to her.

Related Characters: Sadie Hazzard (speaker), Walter, Lachie Mortlock, Jimmy Raven, Gerald Mortlock, Clarry Hazzard
Related Symbols: The Stone Circle, Boort
Page Number: 199
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 27 Quotes

Sadie edged closer to the bed. She pulled out the battered cigarette tin - heavy, so much heavier than it should be - and held it out. “I found it. His special things, the secret things. They’re in there.”

[…]

“Good girl.” [Auntie Lily] let out a deep sigh. “Go on, you go. I look after this now.”

Related Characters: Sadie Hazzard (speaker), Auntie Lily (speaker), Jimmy Raven
Related Symbols: The Stone Circle, Boort
Page Number: 223
Explanation and Analysis:

Sadie knew that she was gazing down at ancient campfires, lit by the people of Crow and Eaglehawk, night after night, generation after generation, millennium upon millennium; that the time of electric lights was only a blink in the long dream of this land’s story. The secret magic of this country lay hidden, buried under buildings and blood; but it had never gone away, and it would never disappear.

Related Characters: Sadie Hazzard, The Crows
Related Symbols: The Stone Circle
Page Number: 224
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 28 Quotes

“Bethany reckons he killed himself. Our great-grandpa,” said Lachie. “Because of the war. Posttraumatic stress or whatever. It was years after he came back. The family made out it was an accident. But Bethany thinks it was because of what he’d seen. What he’d been through.”

What he’d done, thought Sadie.

Related Characters: Lachie Mortlock (speaker), Sadie Hazzard, Jimmy Raven, Gerald Mortlock, Bethany Mortlock
Related Symbols: The Stone Circle, Boort
Page Number: 231
Explanation and Analysis:

Together they planted [Jimmy Raven’s] marker in the ground at the place the crow had shown them.

“I should have brought some flowers or something,” said Sadie.

“Next time,” Walter said.

“Give us a hand?” Lachie called.

The three of them moved around the tiny graveyard, straightening the fallen crosses, digging them more firmly into the ground.

“That’s better,” said Lachie at last, and wiped his forehead on his sleeve. “Maybe we should build a fence round it or something.”

“We’d help you,” said Sadie.

“Make a real headstone for Jimmy, too,” said Walter.

“Yeah,” said Lachie.

Related Characters: Sadie Hazzard (speaker), Walter (speaker), Lachie Mortlock (speaker), Jimmy Raven, Gerald Mortlock, Clarry Hazzard
Related Symbols: The Stone Circle, Boort
Page Number: 232-233
Explanation and Analysis:
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The Stone Circle Symbol Timeline in Crow Country

The timeline below shows where the symbol The Stone Circle appears in Crow Country. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 1
Heritage and Land Theme Icon
...As Sadie explores the lakebed, she finds a small graveyard, and then a group of stones standing in a ring. The stones are ancient, and there are carvings on them. (full context)
Chapter 5
Heritage and Land Theme Icon
...day, and notes that it’s all dried up now. Sadie also tells her mother about the stone circle that she found there, and asks if her mother wants to have a look. Her... (full context)
Chapter 6
Heritage and Land Theme Icon
...David, Sadie leaves the house for Lake Invergarry. She wants to find the circle of stones, but can’t remember where it is exactly. Suddenly, she notices a crow swooping over her... (full context)
Heritage and Land Theme Icon
Violence and Integrity Theme Icon
...that it has a story to tell her, the crow explains that the circle of stones is “a secret place, a story place,” and that Waa the Crow’s people were once... (full context)
Chapter 9
Heritage and Land Theme Icon
...and Sadie points out the place with the stone circle. Lachie is impressed by the stones—he’s never seen them before, and thinks they’re a burial site. Sadie tells him that he’s... (full context)
Heritage and Land Theme Icon
Violence and Integrity Theme Icon
Suddenly, Sadie feels very nervous about having brought Lachie to the stone circle .  She asks him to promise not to tell anyone about this place. He makes... (full context)
Chapter 13
Heritage and Land Theme Icon
Violence and Integrity Theme Icon
...stays at home. She is bored, but she is afraid to visit the circle of stones again, given her dream about the crow. When Ellie and David return, they all decide... (full context)
Chapter 14
Heritage and Land Theme Icon
...asks her why she has not kept his secret, and she apologizes for showing Lachie the stone circle —although, she says, it’s on Lachie’s land anyway. The crow mocks her when she says... (full context)
Chapter 16
Prejudice and Discrimination Theme Icon
Heritage and Land Theme Icon
Realizing that Lachie told Craig about the stone circle , Sadie finds him standing with his friends and confronts him. She tells him that... (full context)
Chapter 17
Prejudice and Discrimination Theme Icon
Heritage and Land Theme Icon
Violence and Integrity Theme Icon
...accident. Clarry and Sarah Louise are shocked. Gerald tells Clarry that he left Jimmy by the stone circle . (full context)
Prejudice and Discrimination Theme Icon
Heritage and Land Theme Icon
Justice and Restitution Theme Icon
Violence and Integrity Theme Icon
...Mortlock in the shop, locks up, and takes Sarah Louise with him. They arrive at the stone circle , where they hear a groan. They find Jimmy Raven and tell him that they’ll... (full context)
Chapter 18
Prejudice and Discrimination Theme Icon
Heritage and Land Theme Icon
Justice and Restitution Theme Icon
Violence and Integrity Theme Icon
...graveyard. Sarah Louise wants to weep—she knows that Jimmy “should have been buried near the stones, under the trees, in the heart of the bush,” not with the Mortlocks. She hears... (full context)
Chapter 19
Prejudice and Discrimination Theme Icon
Justice and Restitution Theme Icon
...and then everything comes tumbling out: she tells him about the crows coming to her, the stone circle , and her travels to the year 1933, including how she becomes “the other Sadie.”... (full context)
Chapter 20
Prejudice and Discrimination Theme Icon
Heritage and Land Theme Icon
...they’re almost at the lakebed, Sadie and Walter hear trail bikes. When they arrive at the stone circle , they find Craig Mortlock, Lachie, and others lounging about the stone circle, beer cans... (full context)
Chapter 22
Prejudice and Discrimination Theme Icon
Heritage and Land Theme Icon
Violence and Integrity Theme Icon
...ancient old woman, who is half blind. Sadie listens as Walter tells Auntie Lily about the stone circle and the crows, and about what the crow said to him and Sadie in Sadie’s... (full context)
Chapter 24
Prejudice and Discrimination Theme Icon
Heritage and Land Theme Icon
Justice and Restitution Theme Icon
Violence and Integrity Theme Icon
...Sadie take shelter in the stone circle. Crows begin to perch on top of the stones, watching. Still, they can hear Lachie’s trail bike coming closer and closer. (full context)
Chapter 26
Justice and Restitution Theme Icon
Violence and Integrity Theme Icon
...Lily had asked them to find, but Lachie caught them. Lachie then followed them to the stone circle and got hurt when Walter threw a clod of earth at him. Sadie tries to... (full context)
Chapter 28
Heritage and Land Theme Icon
Justice and Restitution Theme Icon
Violence and Integrity Theme Icon
Sadie and Walter go to have a look at the stone circle . From a distance, a crow watches Sadie and Walter. Walter wants to catch the... (full context)