Wiradjuri Book PDF
Wiradjuri Book PDF
Wiradjuri Book PDF
By Paul greenwood
I would like to acknowledge the Wiradjuir Elders, past and present, and thank those who have
assisted with the writing of this book.
A basic resource for schools made possible by the assistance of many people. Though the book is
intended to provide information on Wiradjuri culture much of the information is generic to
Aboriginal culture. Some sections may contain information or pictures from outside the Wiradjuri
Nation.
Note: The Murrumbidgee is the only river to still be known as its Aboriginal name
The exact border is not known and some of the territories overlapped with
neighbouring groups. Places like Lake Urana were probably a shared resource as
was the Murray River.
The territory covers hills in the east, river floodplains, grasslands and mallee country
in the west. These environments provided all the materials necessary for survival as
hunters and gatherers. On the floodplains there were rivers, creeks, billabongs,
swamps and lakes which contained many fish, yabbies, mussels, crayfish and
tortoises. The waterways were home to many wetlands birds, such as teal, wood
duck, ibis and water fowl.
Following the winter floods there was plenty of food for a long time.
Away from the rivers the land was flat with few trees in the western area. The plains
had many kangaroos and emus. When it rained the native grasses grew. Seeds of
these grasses provided a reliable source of food. The roots of some plants provided
good food.
Each group had its own area to live. The group of between 10 to 50 people would
collect everything that they needed from the environment. They would move to a
new camp when the food supply was getting low. As the seasons changed and
animals hibernated or moved on, and plants became dormant, the group may have
found it necessary to move to another site in their area.
Dreaming was very important. It is through dreaming that traditional ways were
followed. Dreaming explains how the land, animals and plants were created. It also
describes how people should act and behave.
People did not own the land but were responsible for looking after it. Each group
had their own area to hunt and gather food. The size of the area varied according to
the amount of food in it.
Each of the people had a specific relationship with the others in the group and the
nation. The relationship rules came from the Dreaming and told them who they
could marry and how they should live. It is how they got their totem. The dreaming
also told of the ceremonial places that were sacred. The kinship rules meant that
no-one would ever be alone without someone to care for them.
Society was built around religion and spirituality. Baiame was the creator and gave
the laws for behaviour and custodianship of the land.
Once or twice a year the group would meet with others for ceremonies, corroborees
and trading. Weapons, tools and decorations made by one group would be traded
for things from another group. These meetings were important as they allowed
peaceful gatherings between groups and nations.
Children learnt about life and ceremonies as they helped with the daily work. They
would learn how to hunt and gather food by helping the women and men. As the
children grew older they were taught more and more of the groups secrets.
Education was a life long process. It was the women of the group who were
responsible for teaching the children.
The group was semi nomadic and moved camp to follow the food supply of the
seasons. During the cold time they wore a fur skin from a possum or kangaroo
For the boys an important time was their initiation. The initiation was carried out in a
large ceremony called a Burbung. Invitations would be sent to neighbouring groups
and even to other nations. Planning and preparation took many months. The
burbung ground was prepared by clearing and marking trees. Guests arrived and
camped facing their country. The ceremonies began when everyone arrived. The
young boys were taken into the bush for training, testing and initiation into the next
level of knowledge. Each boy would go through several initiations in their life before
adulthood.
Corroborees were performed by each group. Bonds with each other and the spirits
were strengthened. The Wiradjuri council would sit during this time to discuss
important issues and set laws.
Burbungs were held at the seven mile near Narrandera, Yanco, Bundidgery Hill,
Bald Hill (Charles Sturt University) and other places throughout the country.
There are many other sacred and important sites within the Wiradjuri area including
ceremonial sites, carved trees, bora grounds, burial sites, dreaming sites and
initiation areas
These sites were special areas where they could connect with the spirit of the lands
The Wiradjuri people had many important places for ceremonies and meetings.
Indyamarra is just one of them. The Indyamarra site is located at CSU on the
northern edge of Wagga Wagga. It is the top of a hill overlooking the floodplain of
the Murrumbidgee river.
The meaning of Indyamarra is Give honour, be respectful, polite, gentle, patient and
honest with each other
You can not harm or kill your totem. Strangers identified each other by totem, and
could determine who was friendly and who was not friendly. A man would never
consciously kill or hurt someone of his totem.
People with the same totem could not marry each other.
Giramul Possum
Wagan Crow
Birigun Red Kangaroo
Yungai Mallee Hen
Narrung Jew Lizard
Gunir Pademelon
Gular Galah
Bidija Chicken Hawk
Kukuburra Kookaburra
There was no number system. People did not have to count large numbers of
things. There were words for one, two and many, but no words for other numbers.
Quite a few Wiradjuri words remain but their meanings are not known. Other words
have been adopted into present use, these are mainly place names.
Some parts of the land was set aside as breeding grounds and sanctuaries areas
where hunting was taboo. Parts of the plains near the rivers were left for birds that
nest on the ground. Some of the lagoons and billabongs were set aside as
waterbirds and fish breeding sanctuaries. An Emu breeding ground was
Eunonyhareenyha near Wagga Wagga. Parken Pregan lagoon was a sanctuary for
pelicans and swans. Curlews bred on the North Wagga flats. Other sanctuaries
existed throughout the country. Cargellico and lake Cowal were bird and fish
sanctuaries. Fish and crayfish were carried across land in coolamons to be put in
other water holes for breeding.
Hunting or fishing could only take place in part of the area each year. Then next
year another part of the area was used, never the same part 2 years in a row.
Fishing was allowed on one side of a lake each year. Next year the other side was
fished. Hunting during nesting season was banned. This ban lasted long enough for
the young birds to fledge and become independent of the parent birds.
Fish traps and barriers were placed on some creeks. Lagoons, like Wollundry in
Wagga Wagga were blocked off to hold fish in the lagoon for breeding and food.
The bottom end of the lagoon was blocked with fallen trees and branches so fish
could not be swept onto the floodplain during floods. Once the floodwaters receded
any stranded fish on the floodplain were gathered up and placed back in the lagoon
so they would not die.
When a Burbung (a large gathering of lots of people for initiations) was to be held,
hunting and gathering in the area was banned for a long time before.
In the cooler season the group would chose a campsite with good water and plenty
of food in the area. It was best to find a site that was protected from the westerly
winds. Most campsites were near water because that is where the most food was to
be found.
Central to the camp was a fireplace that was used to cook food and to keep warm.
The fireplace was a hole in the ground and as food was cooked there, over time a
pile of ash and scraps built up. There were other smaller fireplaces used by
members of the groups for cooking or warmth located throughout the campsite,
mainly near their gunyah.
Shelters were simple structures made with a frame of straight sticks and covered
with leaves or sheets of bark. If Stringy-bark or paper-bark was around it was used.
If there was no suitable bark then branches of leaves were used
Each family had to lean-to, mia-mia or humpy (gunyah). Gunyahs were built on
the south or western side of the camp so smoke from the fire did not blow into them.
The lean-to was not big, just large enough for the family to sleep in. A forked stick
was used at each end to place a pole along. Then other sticks and bark or boughs
were leaned up against the frame.
If there was no natural shade on hot sunny days, a lean-to type of shelter was put
up to provide protection from the hot sun.
Near some campsites you might find scarred trees, where coolamons were cut from
them. Campsites near large bodies of water might have canoe trees nearby.
Campsites were never near initiation grounds because they were spiritual and you
only went there for the initiation and then left.
The campsite was left when the food supply ran low. This occurred at different
times of the year with the changing seasons. By moving camps the food supply was
never exhausted.
Some camps were almost permanent. The ones along a river with plenty of bush to
support many animals and lots of fish in the water were semi-permanent.
In the warmer season, or while the group was on the move, only light shelters were
needed. Windbreaks were made by placing branches in a semicircle blocking the
wind. The group members slept behind the windbreak, often burning a fire to keep
warm.
Traditional Wiradjuri Culture
Windbreak used in summer or while travelling. It could be set up quickly and left
when the group continued on the next day.
The old dry grass was burnt to get fresh new growth. The fresh new growth
attracted animals to eat it, so the hunters knew they only had to go to this area in the
morning or late afternoon and there would be some animals to kill. The animals
would be taken back to the camp to be cooked up.
To keep warm they would light a few small fires, not big ones, around the group and
sit between them. This was better than having one big fire because all the body was
warm not just one side.
During the cold weather they would light up a fire on the ground then scrap out all
the coals and ashes. Then they could sleep on the warm ground that the fire
heated.
MAKING FIRES
FIRE STICK
When the group moved camp, it was someones job to carry a burning stick and
keep it alight. Often the group would stop to light up another stick as each one burnt
up. This was much easier than lighting up a new fire using fire drill sticks.
The particular plants that were eaten varied in different parts of the country.
Fruits, seeds and green vegetable plants were only available during the appropriate
seasons.
Roots were an important food. They could usually be dug up all year round. The
long roots (rhizomes) of Bracken Fern were chewed or beaten into a sticky starch.
There are many native lilies with small tuberous roots which were collected for food,
such as the Chocolate lily and Yam daisy. Along the rivers, Cumbungi or Bulrush
was good nourishment, as was Water ribbons and Marsh Club Rush, which has
hard tubers.
In the west, where it rains less, the plants are sparse. Here the groups relied more
on the native grasses. Seeds were collected and ground into a flour to make into
damper. Wattle seeds were eaten. There were also fruits of the bush tomatoes
and Quandongs.
Many Kangaroos and emus lived on the plains, though hard to kill, they provided
plenty of meat.
The forest had plenty of possums that were not too hard to catch and they provided
good meat.
In dry seasons food was scarce, some of the edible plant species were dormant and
grasses only grew after rain.
The cold weather in winter meant that many animals would hibernate and plants
were dormant until the warmer spring weather. The cold weather made it difficult to
gather and catch food. With frosts, fog and rain it was not pleasant getting food.
This is the time that the group moved away from the river.
Emu and echidna was special tucker it was cooked in the ground. With the Emu,
the gut was taken out and cleaned then stuffed with the heart, kidney and fat before
it was placed in a separate part of the fire. Old men ate it. This delicacy was called
munku, puulpi or galingaar depending on which part of the country you lived in.
Kangaroo munku was good too. Female kangaroos (does) were eaten not bucks,
the meat of the buck smells. Kangaroos were often cooked in the coals.
WINTER AUTUMN
Weather- Cold to freezing- Weather-Cool to warm-
Hardest time of year to gather food as many
animals hibernated, so they had to be dug out
Rivers become very low. Animals return to
the water holes and rivers because there was
which took a lot of effort and time. The not a lot of vegetation on the plains
people had to move away from the rivers FOOD: Kangaroo, Emu, lizards, Typha
because it was too cold and foggy (Cumbungi) and Wattle seeds to make
FOOD: Wombats, echidna, snake, possum, damper
kangaroo and Emu
The main meal of the day was in the evening when the while group was in camp. A
fire was lit to heat up clay balls that were made from the river clay. These balls were
about as big as a cricket ball. If there wasnt any clay near the camp small rocks
would be used.
The fire would heat up the clay then all but a few of the clay balls were dug out.
Then leaves were put on them and the food was put on the leaves and covered with
more leaves. The rest of the clay balls were added and the lot covered with ashes
and dirt. The food would cook about two hours, then it was dug out and everyone
could have a good feed.
Using the same oven over and over meant that a large mound of ash, burnt clay,
charcoal and debris built up. These are now called oven mounds.
Birds and small animals were cooked by throwing them onto a fire whole, with the
feathers or skin still on them. They didnt take long to cook up a bit as they were
turned a couple of times. Yabbies were cooked on the coals. These foods were
often cooked in the small fires that each family had near their gunyah.
Campsite Firepit
Canoes were important as they were necessary to transport people and things
across water and were used in fishing. They were made from a single piece of bark
cut from a tree, softened with fire and bent into shape. Clay from the river bed was
used to plug holes.
Nets were used to trap fish, ducks and larger animals. Long mesh nets were strung
across creeks or rivers to catch fish. Nets were dragged in shallow water by a few
people to catch fish. Smaller nets were used to catch yabbies. A special net was
made to catch Bogong Moths in summer
Duck nets were stung across creeks to trap the birds as they flew into them. A net
was strung across a creek between two trees. Then some people would walk along
the creek from the other direction and frighten the ducks. This made the ducks fly
away. They always fly low along the creek and get caught in the net. When the
birds became tangled the net was lowered to get them out.
Fish were sometimes caught with banks made of closely spaced stakes or stones
placed across the mouth of a river channel, so that the fish were trapped when the
floodwaters receded. Wollundry Lagoon and Parken Pregan Lagoon near Wagga
Wagga were used for catching the holding fish in this way.
The Indigo plant was crushed up and placed in a pond of water. This would take the
oxygen out of the water and the fish would float to the surface where they were
collected. When they had enough fish they would stir up the water and the
remaining fish would recover
Wommera is a tool used to throw a spear Woomeras were made from a piece of
wood cut from a tree. Using a woomera a man could throw a spear very accurately
over a long distance.
The woomera was roughly the length of the owners arm. One end was used as a
handle. The other end had a sharpened piece of wood tied with emu or kangaroo
sinew. This sharp point was inserted into a hole at the end of the spear.
The spear was held between the thumb and forefinger, and the handles of the
woomera held in the palm of the hand as the spear was thrown.
The woomera was also used as a boondi and as a shield when hunting or in battle.
The Boondi was one of the most deadly weapons. It was made from Mulga,
Gidgee, Yarran or Ironbark wood.
Boondis were made in different shapes, but was usually between a half to one metre
in length and could be used as a club or throwing stick. The handle of a common
Boondi tapers to a point near the handgrip. The other end widens into a bulb about
10 centimetres in diameter.
The shaping was carefully done, the length, weight and balance had to be just right.
It was usual for a man to have several Boondis all slightly different.
It would take days to make a Boomerang. Finding a suitable piece of wood like a
Red gum root, it was cut off the tree and the bark scrapped off. It was left in the
water for a couple of months. Then cutting it into shape and scraping it with a
mussel shell or sharp stone to make it smooth. Firing it to make it hard and to set it,
then oiling it would take a long time, but the effort was worth it, because with 2 or 3
Boomerangs a man could get enough food to feed the family.
The returning Boomerangs were small and light, about 40cm long. They were used
for games and to scare birds so they could be caught.
The bigger hunting Boomerangs (1m and 2kg) were the ones used most. They
were made to fly straight for maybe 150m.
Boomerangs were used a lot. They were used to hunt animals and to dig up
animals from in the ground or to get grubs and things. They were good to dig a fire
pit or to scrap ashes onto what you are cooking. Some old men used them to light
fires. They rub them across a log to light up grass or dry kangaroo dung. They can
be used as clapsticks to make music or with a yadaki. Boomerangs were used in
fights with other groups too.
The tree is not harmed by taking bark for a Coolamon. The tree will have a scar
where the bark was removed.
Bullroarer
The Bullroarer is a flat piece of wood shaped and decorated by the owner. It was
attached to a piece of string and swung around to make a unique sound.
It was used to warn people to stay away when mens business was taking place.
Children would sound the Bullroarer when they were playing in the bush to let their
parents know where they were.
Women spent many hours weaving a variety of items used in everyday life. They
used grass, water reeds, animal fur and other useful plants to make baskets,
scoops, dilly bags, mats, mourning bags.
Bark of the Stringybark Tree was used to make rope of various thicknesses. Men
would cut the bark from a tree, separate the useful bits and weave it together to
make very strong rope and string. The string was used to make nets for fishing or
catching birds. The rope was used to build Gunyahs and many other uses.
When travelling through another groups area people carried a message stick.
The message stick explained who the person was and why they were travelling. It
ensured safe passage, if you were caught in another groups area without
permission there would be trouble.
Tree carvings, ground designs and engravings were the main forms of art. Body
painting was also an important art form, lots of ornaments and decorations were
used.
In preparation for battles or corroborees the men used ochre to paint their bodies.
Ochre is a special type of clay that was collected or traded to get different colours. It
is mixed with water to make paint.
A brush stroke method of painting was used. The end of a small green stick was
flattened out like a paint brush by chewing on it. Then a painting which told a story
was completed.
Campfire.
Bird tracks.
It took a while to cut off the bark and a lot longer to cut out a piece of wood. Stone
axes or bits of stone were used to cut and wedge out the piece. Digging sticks and
the end of a boondi was used sometimes. Whatever was around would be used.
Bark was cut off trees to make canoes. The canoes were used on rivers and lakes.
Mostly the large River red gums were used as they had suitable bark and they grew
along the rivers. Cutting a canoe left an oval shaped scar above three metres long.
Large sheets of bark were used to put on the lean-to shelter as a covering material.
Bark was also used for coffins and wrapping the dead.
Throughout the area there are trees with small oval scars where bark was cut off to
make Coolamons or Shields.
Some Coolamons were made by cutting off a gnarl caused by insects and hollowing
it out.
Wood was used to make all sorts of tools and weapons. Boomerangs were made
from the elbow section of wood, like River red gum root that was exposed by the
water washing away the soil.
Shields and Boondis were made of wood or bark. Spears and spear throwers as
well as digging sticks were all made of wood and taking them off trees left scars on
the trees.
Native bees and animals like possums live in old hollow trees. Someone would find
the right tree by watching the bees or look for possum scratching on the trunks.
Then one man would go up the tree, he would cut toeholds into the trunk as he went
up to get the honey or catch the possum. Sometimes a small smoking fire was lit at
the base of the tree to flush out the possum.
Most carvings were done on Box trees (a type of eucalypt) or Cypress Pine trees.
Tree carving was used to mark ceremonial grounds and burial sites of important
people.
The initiation grounds were and still are very important and the carved trees warn
people to respect them. Around the initiation ground several trees would be carved.
Wiradjuri carved complex designs to mark the burial sites of important men. The
designs were associated with man and were thought to provide a pathway for his
spirit. The carvings are like a headstone to identify the dead persons social
standing. Mostly only one tree would be carved at a burial site but at some sites a
few trees were carved with the carvings facing the burial site. The carvings were
done by initiated men
A suitable tree was chosen and a piece of bark was cut off part of the trunk. Then
the carving was cut into the wood. Most of the carvings are geometric designs with
ovals, swirls and other shapes. Each tree was unique in its design.
Tree carving was a very skilful art. A stone axe was used to carve the design. It was
difficult to cut the hard wood with the traditional tools.
This picture is not a ring tree but might help explain to students the concept. The
location of any remaining ring trees is guarded to prevent any possible destruction
Plants were used for many things besides food. The long leaves of sedges, rushes
and lilies were collected to make baskets and mats, or soaked and beaten to free
the fibres to make string. The bark of trees was used to make buckets, dishes and
shields. River red gum was good for making canoes.
Medicines also came from plants. Native mint bushes were used to make remedies
for coughs and colds, and the gum from gum trees, which is rich in tannin, was used
for burns. Many plants were cultivated for their medicinal uses.
Nothing was wasted or destroyed the clan only collected what was needed. If they
needed a piece of bark, it was cut off without killing the tree.
The following list shows how many of the plants were used:
Silver Wattle (A. dealbata) The bark was used for water
containers. The seeds were eaten. The wood
was used to make stone axe handles. The
gum was used as food. It was eaten or
dissolved in water with flower nectar to make
sweet drinks. Gum was also used as an
ointment or adhesive when mixed with ash.
River Red Gum (E. camaldulensis) The bark was used for
canoes. Suitable roots were made into
boomerangs.
The following are not traditional Wiradjuri foods, but are useful in bush
tucker gardens: