Aboriginal Society in West Gippsland

Aboriginal Nations and Clan groups in South Eastern Australia

Local Tribal Boundaries This map shows that the area we are studying, west gippsland, is clearly on the boundary between the Kulin nation and the Gurnai nation. These two nations did not interact. They would not cross into each others territories.

Language Groups in the Kulin Nation around Melbourne 5 nations of the Kulin Alliance Within each nation there were sub- language groups, and then smaller clans. A complex society interconnected by marriages. Aboriginals typically spoke 5-10 different languages Kulin people did NOT interact with neighbouring Gunai nation of Gippsland

Gippsland Gunai Nation Gunai Clans The five clans are Bratwoloong (1), Brayakooloong (2), Brabuwooloong (3), Tatungooloong (4) and Krowathunkooloong (5). Mostly the people lived in harmony with one another, meeting for corroborees which involved marriages and initiation ceremonies, dancing, feasting and trade of goods such as stones suitable for axe making. Occasionally there were battles over tribal land and women. The area further East, around Cann River and Mallacoota was the country of the Bidawal. People from tribes all over what is now Victoria and southern NSW who had breached tribal law were sent into Bidawal country for a period of exile.

Use of Kooweerup Swamp

Bunurong people movements

The demise of the Aboriginal population Estimates of the Aboriginal population in Victoria before 1834 vary quite considerably, but is believed to be approximately 100,000 people. By 1860 the number of Aboriginal people living in Victoria had fallen to less than 2,000

What happened to local Aboriginals? Berwick- Pakenham Historical Survey- Dept of Conservation and Environment

Evidence of massacres Henry Meyrick, who arrived in Gippsland in 1846, wrote: “No wild beast of the forest was ever hunted down with such unsparing perseverance as they are. Men, women, and children are shot whenever they can be met with. Some excuse might be found for shooting the men by those who are daily getting their cattle speared, but what they can urge in their excuse who shoot the women and children I cannot conceive. I have protested against it at every station I have been in Gippsland, but these things are kept very secret as the penalty would certainly be hanging. “

A list of massacres in the gippsland area invasion/6457/massacre-sites/ invasion/6457/massacre-sites/ Indigenous elders talk about massacre sites in Victoria massacre-site massacre-site The actual location of the the Warrigal creek massacre on google maps

Aboriginal Society Today Albert Mullett, one of the elders of the East Gippsland Aboriginal community, writes: One point we can stress is that the Aboriginal race did not pass away as many people think. In spite of what happened, we survived... What they didn't know was that many [Kurnai] had escaped up into the hill country to the north and east of Gippsland and that there were Aboriginal communities up there that the Europeans didn't know about, communities that survived right through to this century... Gippsland has traditionally had a high proportion of the Aborigines living in Victoria and still does. The events described in this book couldn't stop that

Drouin Primary School Drouin is located 100km east of Melbourne in West Gippsland. Drouin Primary School has approximately 200 students of which 15% are Koorie. We have a strong relationship with our Koorie families, signing a partnership agreement with them in 2009 that sees our school curriculum embrace the Koorie culture. “it became clear that the primary issue was building relationships between Koorie parents and community. It was obvious that those relationships as they stood were very negative and counterproductive for the students' education”. “We just did not understand each other and there certainly was not a trusting relationship between us. I only seemed to be making contact with parents about negative things, like behaviour issues. I wanted to make things better, but I didn't know how to do it.” Principal, Lyn King

Aboriginal Health Service

Building Community Gunai Aboriginal Womens Collective: The Kurnai were traditionally a matriachal society- the women made key decisions.

Many Aboriginal people were moved away from their traditional tribal lands and relocated- to break the bond. Children were forcibly removed- the Stolen Generation. Link-up is an effort to reconnect communities, people, cultures and land.