Wongkumara

The Wongkumara were an indigenous people of the state of Queensland.

Language

Wangkumara was a Ngura language which died out with the passing of its last speakers in the late 20th. century.

Country

According to Norman Tindale, the Wongkumara lands covered some 4,500 square miles (12,000 km2), stretching over Cooper Creek east of Nappa Merrie and Orientos to the area around the ephmeral Wilson River at Nockatunga.[1]

Writing in 1886, F. W. Myles described their neighbouring tribes as follows:

The names of the tribes which adjoin the Wonkomarra are, to the south, the Poidgerry (on the Currowinya Downs station) and the Bitharra (on the Bulloo Downs station); to the west, the Thiralla (on the Nockatoongo station) and Eromarra (on the Conbar station); to the north, the Bunthomarra (on the Mount Margaret station) and the Murgoin (on the Ardock station); and on the east by the same tribe (on the Dynevor station).[2]

History of contact

The first settlers arrived in 1863, and within two decades their population had been reduced substantially to just 90 people.[2] Those surviving moved to Chastleton and NCarcowlah where they mingled with the Kalali.[1]

Social organization

The Wongkumara were divided into hordes, concerning which 2 names possibly referring to their clans survive.

  • Balpamadramadra. (Perhaps a clan at Nappa Merrie)
  • Jaramarala. ( Perhaps a clan at Baryulah).[1]

Alternative names

  • Wangkumara, Wonkamara, Wonkomarra,[2] Wonkamarra, Wonkamura, Wonkamurra
  • Wonkubara, Wanggumara
  • Papagunu. (derogatory Yandruwandha exonym name, signifying "dog shit".
  • Balpamadramadra
  • Jaramarala[1]

Some words

  • mari. (dog, whether wild or tame)
  • wanyu. (father)
  • unu. (mother)
  • doona. (whiteman, meaning properly "ghost").[3]

Notes

    Citations

    Sources

    • Mathews, R. H. (1899). "Divisions of some Aboriginal Tribes, Queensland". Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales. 33: 108–111.
    • Mathews, R. H. (January 1900). "Divisions of the South Australian Aborigines". Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society. 39 (161): 78–91+93. JSTOR 983545.
    • Mathews, R. H. (1905). "Ethnological notes on the aboriginal tribes of Queensland" (PDF). Queensland Geographical Journal. 29: 49–75.
    • Myles, F. W. (1886). "Thargominda, Bulloo River" (PDF). In Curr, Edward Micklethwaite. The Australian race: its origin, languages, customs, place of landing in Australia and the routes by which it spread itself over the continent. Volume 2. Melbourne: J. Ferres. pp. 36–41.
    • Tindale, Norman Barnett (1974). "Wongkumara (QLD)". Aboriginal Tribes of Australia: Their Terrain, Environmental Controls, Distribution, Limits, and Proper Names. Australian National University Press.
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