The following is based on the article that appeared in Tjurunga 50, celebrating 25 years of publication. It includes sections of an piece written by Mother M Xavier McMonagle, from the then, Tyburn Priory, Manly, NSW, Australia, which appeared in Tjurunga 1 (1971), 5-7. Mother Xavier also designed the special tjurunga which has, from the beginning, served as the logo of the journal.

In Central Australia, the Aranda group of Aborigines give the name tjurunga to the sacred stones used in their religious rites. Tjurunga are extremely sacred objects. They are slabs of stone or sometimes wood. They are oval, or pointed oval, flatted or slightly convex in shape Their size varies from several inches to almost two meters in length. Most tjurunga, have intricate patterns incised on them. These have meaning and the tjurunga themselves have a religious significance that links them with the spirit-life of the people.

The incised designs on the tjurunga are composed of the following elements: concentric circles or portions thereof, such as U-within-U figurations. The concentric circles are said to represent the central component of religious belief; the U-within-U figures represent the members of the group – people sitting round a fire, as it were.

In giving our periodical the name Tjurunga we have taken an element deeply embedded in our Aboriginal religious traditions and transposed it to a Benedictine setting. The early history of Benedictinism in Australia – New Norcia, Beagle Bay and work of Archbishop Polding – was marked by a strong desire to build harmonious relationship with the Aboriginal people. This tradition continues today throughout Australia. So, the name and design are Aboriginal in inspiration, as are so many of our place names in modern Australia including Tarrawarra and Jamberoo. Followers of Saint Benedict have always cared deeply about the land and its peoples. We hope that we may continue this tradition so that we also may be recognised – in the twelfth-century phrase – as “lovers of the place”. It seems that, ultimately, it will be our location here in Australia that will determine our distinctive identity as Benedictines.

After 25 years of publication in 1996, and in celebration of the 50th anniversary edition of Tjurunga, and in light of suggestions made by several persons, the then Editorial Board sought to ensure that our use of the name Tjurunga was not in any way offensive to the Aboriginal community. They received the following response to their inquires.