Waranga Dreaming
During the centenary celebrations of the establishment of Rushworth and Whroo, which took place in 1953, Nagambie resident Harry S Parris wrote a substantial article about what he considered would be the movements of the Ngurai-illum Wurrung around the local area.1 If Mr Parris was correct in some
Waranga Dreaming
Over the years since colonisation, there has been endless speculation about what the Victorian Aboriginal population would have been pre-1830. Starting from what we know with some certainty, the last census (2016) indicated that there were nearly 50,000 people in Victoria who identified as having Aboriginal and Torres
Waranga Dreaming
In the previous story, we looked at the traditional lands of the Ngurai-illum Wurrung people. It was noted that much of their country became the old Shire of Waranga after European settlement and included the sites of the present-day towns of Colbinabbin, Rushworth, Stanhope, Corop and Murchison. That
Waranga Dreaming
By the early 1800s, prior to colonisation, the “borders” of the lands for which different groups of Aboriginal people in Victoria were custodians were quite clearly defined and respected. This was a process that had been going on for thousands of years. Victoria was divided up into lands of nearly
Waranga Dreaming
The Aboriginal people whose country included the Waranga area were known as the Ngurai-illum Wurrung people. Over the years since European colonisation, nearly 50 variations of this name have been used, such as Ngooraialum, Orilim, Woralim and Noorilim. However, Ngurai-illum Wurrung is the name generally accepted by descendants
Waranga Dreaming
Much of the history that has been written about the Aboriginal people of the local Waranga area relates to the last 180 years. This is understandable, in that academic historians are always concerned with written documentation and verification. However, that is all but impossible when a culture has relied on
Waranga Dreaming
Let’s go back in time a little, and briefly reflect on when Homo Sapiens (i.e. the modern human family) first appeared in the Waranga area. A whole range of scientists, from archaeologists to molecular biologists, have been pondering this question for a long time. Recent developments in the
Waranga Dreaming
During his life “King John”, the Aboriginal man born in the new town of Rushworth in 1855-6, developed his skills in boomerang manufacture and throwing to help provide him with an income. When he was interviewed for a front-page article in the Melbourne “Herald” in 1913, he explained
Waranga Dreaming
The man who was the inspiration for these stories was apparently born in High Street Rushworth in 1855-6. There are contemporary reports of groups of Aboriginal people camping at the bottom end of High Street, and at least one reference to a corroboree being held there. To put his
Waranga Dreaming
This series of stories examines aspects of the lives of the Aboriginal people who formerly lived in the Waranga area. The kernel of the idea for the series comes from a brief article which appeared in the “Rushworth Chronicle” and “Murchison Advertiser” in 1917, viz - “King Billy, an old aboriginal