The Wanggumara, also spelt Wangkumara, Wongkumara, Wangkumarra, and other variants, are an
Aboriginal people
There is no generally accepted definition of Indigenous peoples, although in the 21st century the focus has been on self-identification, cultural difference from other groups in a state, a special relationship with their traditional territ ...
of the state of
Queensland
Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...
, Australia.
Language
Old Wankumara, spoken along the
Bulloo River
The Bulloo River is an isolated drainage system in western Queensland, central Australia. Its floodplain, which extends into northern New South Wales, is an important area for waterbirds when inundated. It comprises most of the Bulloo-Banc ...
with the
Kalali people
The Galali or Kalali were an indigenous Australian people of the state of Queensland.
Language
Garlali is now extinct, but some outlines of the language were written out by Nils Holmer, Maryalyce McDonald and Stephen Wurm.
The Garlali spoke two ...
, was a "
Karna–Mari fringe" language that died out with the passing of its last speakers in the late 20th century.
"Modern" Wankumara, spoken along the
Wilson River, is a
Karnic language, which according to Breen (1967) was identical to the speech of other peoples speaking the
Wilson River language
The Wilson River language, also known as "Modern" Wankumara (Wangkumara/ Wanggumara), is an Australian Aboriginal language of the Karnic family. It was spoken by several peoples along the Wilson River in Queensland. Of these, the Wanggumar ...
. The disambiguator "modern" simply refers to the fact that the Wanggumara people continued speaking that language more recently than the other.
Country
According to
Norman Tindale
Norman Barnett Tindale AO (12 October 1900 – 19 November 1993) was an Australian anthropologist, archaeologist, entomologist and ethnologist. He is best remembered for his work mapping the various tribal groupings of Aboriginal Australians ...
, the Wanggumara lands covered some , stretching over
Cooper Creek
The Cooper Creek (formerly Cooper's Creek) is a river in the Australian states of Queensland and South Australia. It was the site of the death of the explorers Burke and Wills in 1861. It is sometimes known as the Barcoo River from one of its ...
east of
Nappa Merrie and Orientos to the area around the
ephemeral
Ephemerality (from the Greek word , meaning 'lasting only one day') is the concept of things being transitory, existing only briefly. Academically, the term ephemeral constitutionally describes a diverse assortment of things and experiences, fr ...
Wilson River at
Nockatunga.
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).
History of contact
The first settlers arrived in 1863, and within two decades their population had been reduced substantially to just 90 people. Those surviving moved to Chastleton (former name of Nappa Merrie Station) and Narcowlah where they mingled with the
Kalali.
Social organisation
The Wanggumara were divided into
hordes, concerning which two names possibly referring to their clans survive:
* ''Balpamadramadra'' (perhaps a clan at Nappa Merrie)
* ''Jaramarala'' (perhaps a clan at Baryulah)
Alternative names
* ''Wangkumara, Wonkamara, Wonkomarra'', ''Wonkamarra, Wonkamura, Wonkamurra''
* ''Wonkubara'', ''Wanggumara''
* ''Papagunu'' (derogatory
Yandruwandha exonym
An endonym (also known as autonym ) is a common, name for a group of people, individual person, geographical place, language, or dialect, meaning that it is used inside a particular group or linguistic community to identify or designate them ...
name, signifying "dog shit")
* ''Balpamadramadra''
* ''Jaramarala''
Some words
* ''mari'' (dog, whether wild or tame)
* ''wanyu'' (father)
* ''unu'' (mother)
* ''doona'' (white man, meaning properly "ghost")
Notes
Citations
Sources
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{{authority control
Aboriginal peoples of Queensland