ABC Ninganah Lullaby

The ABC Kids Lullaby is loved by children and parents around the country. For 2024’s lullaby we worked with the wonderful team at the ABC and the legendary musician Troy Casser-Daley to write, direct and produce an animation for his song, ‘Ninganah’.

Our story follows a small boy Djardi, who’s camping with his family. He drifts off to sleep and dreams of flying on the back of a huge squirrel glider. Soaring over the landscape they see many animals and encounter the friendly Goonge spirits, who’s captivating dance sends all off to sleep. Djardi, throughout his journey, connects with his Country, the skies and the waters where the river meets the sea, returning to camp tired but fulfilled.

The story was based on Troy’s early childhood memories and the song features language from Troy’s mother’s Country, Bundjalung and Gumbaynggirr. He remembers playing with his cousins, and learning from his Uncle, connecting with Country and culture. The sounds of curlews and eagles, and the sight of the river meeting the ocean still inspire nostalgic memories for Troy.

The project gave us the chance to visit our inner child and see the world around us with a new lens. Our goal for this project wasn’t only to help adults send their little ones off to bed but also to invoke curiosity and awareness of the endangered animals depicted in ‘Ninganah’.