Rituals and Ceremonies
Food
The land provided the tribe with everything they needed. They learned to manage the country so the resources were not used up. About half of the food eaten came from plants. Fish and birds were also important. It took about 5 hours every day to collect enough food for the tribe. The women, girls and young children would gather plant foods such as seeds, nuts and fruit. They also hunted small lizards and collected things like witchetty grubs. The men and older boys would catch larger animals and fish. In this way a variety of food was gathered for the tribe and everything was shared, cooked and eaten together. Everything of value was kept and used.
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.
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.
Boomerangs
The Wiradjuri name for boomerang is “Baddawal”.
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 tribes too.
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 tribes too.
Totems
Each family has a special association with an animal, bird or fish. This is their Totem and each member of the family is linked to the totem through dreaming.
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.
Here are some of the Totems listed below :
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.
Here are some of the Totems listed below :
Language
Wiradjuri was a spoken language, words were never written down. Most of the words were for outside things like sky, hills, plains, rocks, plants, animals and birds. Trees were not just called trees, there were different names for different types of trees eg, Cooba, Mugga. Some of these names have been adopted into English. There are many words to describe kinship and relationships. This shows that relationships were very important in traditional life.
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.
This list contains some words and their meanings:
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.
This list contains some words and their meanings:
Cooking
Central to the camp was the firepit. A hole nearly a metre deep was dug. The main meals were cooked in this pit.
The main meal of the day was in the evening when the whole 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 wasn’t 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.
The continual re-use of the same oven 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 didn’t 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.
The main meal of the day was in the evening when the whole 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 wasn’t 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.
The continual re-use of the same oven 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 didn’t 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.
Implements
Everything had to be either made of traded from another area. Nothing was wasted.
Water was sometimes carried in containers made from animal skins and food in baskets made from woven reeds.
Grinding stones were used for grinding and processing seeds into flour.
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.
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.
Duck nets were used to trap 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 into 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.
Water was sometimes carried in containers made from animal skins and food in baskets made from woven reeds.
Grinding stones were used for grinding and processing seeds into flour.
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.
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.
Duck nets were used to trap 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 into 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.
Coolamon
A Coolamon is a dish like a bowl or pot. They were made from the elbow of a root or branch of a tree. Some were made of bark that was cut from a tree and the sides curved up by moulding it with fire. The inside was smoothed by scraping it with a sharp stone or shells.
Coolamons were used by women to carry water or food. Some women would balance them on their heads.
Coolamons were used by women to carry water or food. Some women would balance them on their heads.
Art
Art is a vital part of the culture. Art is an important component of ceremonies and rituals. Art was never just for the beauty of it. The practical or ceremonial purpose has always been more important than the aesthetic value.
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.
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.
Examples of Art symbols and Meanings
Resources
The land provided everything that was needed to survive. People were taught early to manage the rivers and land so that the resources were not used up.
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 tribe only collected what was needed. If they needed a piece of bark, it was cut off without killing the tree.
There were many traditional resource plants of the Wiradjuri which were used for not only food , but used for sickness, utensils , bags , gum and sores.
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 tribe only collected what was needed. If they needed a piece of bark, it was cut off without killing the tree.
There were many traditional resource plants of the Wiradjuri which were used for not only food , but used for sickness, utensils , bags , gum and sores.
Diet
The Wiradjuri diet included yabbies and fish such as Murray Cod from the rivers. In dry seasons, they ate kangaroos, emus and food gathered from the land, including fruit, nuts, yam daisies (Microseris Lanceolata), wattle seeds, and orchid tubers.
Shelters
Windbreak – used in summer or while travelling. It could be set up quickly and left when the group continued on the next day.
Lean-to – the most common shelter.
Each family would have their own gunya in the camp.
It is waterproof. A fire could be lit outside for warmth.
Each family would have their own gunya in the camp.
It is waterproof. A fire could be lit outside for warmth.
Mia-mia – weatherproof shelter used in cold seasons. A family of 4 or 5 would sleep inside with a small fire at the front.
Missons and Reserves
Talbragar Reserve is 4 1/2 miles from Dubbo located near Coonamble Road , Established at the junction of the Maquarie and Talbragar Rivers, where JOhn
Oxley arrived in the region only 80 years before in 1818. It was set up in the 1898 and it was a large establlishment with a school and a teacher. The Dubbo-ga , Mur-ga , Eumal-ga , Mun-g , Warrie-ga , Dundullamal and Bungilgambie was some of the traditional clans who occupied and lived in the area surrounding the two rivers (Maquarie and Talbragar). The clan or family groups that were known as Waree interacted with one another sharing food , religious ceremonies and kinship ties. The Wiradjuri had close links with the boardering Nations , particularly the Kamilaroi with whom they shared marriage, family and ceremonial obligations.
They lived in tin house huts there were up to 8 houses located on the reserve with 5 remaining.
Photo by Allan Hall of the Tin house huts:
Oxley arrived in the region only 80 years before in 1818. It was set up in the 1898 and it was a large establlishment with a school and a teacher. The Dubbo-ga , Mur-ga , Eumal-ga , Mun-g , Warrie-ga , Dundullamal and Bungilgambie was some of the traditional clans who occupied and lived in the area surrounding the two rivers (Maquarie and Talbragar). The clan or family groups that were known as Waree interacted with one another sharing food , religious ceremonies and kinship ties. The Wiradjuri had close links with the boardering Nations , particularly the Kamilaroi with whom they shared marriage, family and ceremonial obligations.
They lived in tin house huts there were up to 8 houses located on the reserve with 5 remaining.
Photo by Allan Hall of the Tin house huts: