The ochre stencils at Carnarvon are some of the finest examples of this type of Aboriginal imagery in Australia. Yamatji is a name commonly used by Aboriginal people in the Murchison and Gascoyne regions of WesternAustralia to refer to themselves, and sometimes also to Aboriginal people generally, when speakingEnglish. As a result the Gascoyne is now home to Aboriginal people from many language groups from around the State. Since the original gazettal, much land has been added to the reserve and it is now known as Carnarvon National Park, of which Carnarvon Gorge is but a section. Photo credit: Tourism and Events Queensland, Nestled in Queenslands sandstone wilderness, Carnarvon Gorge is on everyones bucket list, or should be! The rainfall is low andnormally most of it comes when the cyclones hit the north of Australia. The Skydome Made up of a series of time lapse night footage taken from different areas of the Gascoyne region showing how Aboriginal people were our first astronomers. Gwoonwardu Mia, the Gascoyne Aboriginal Heritage and Cultural Centre for all five language groups of the region, was reopened by you in 2019. A high protein, perennial fodder crop. (, "The fact that they did not circumcise also suggests that they would have interacted more closely with their northern and southern neighbours in ritual practice than they did with the Wajarri to the east, despite the indications that their relations with the Wajarri were better than for most coastal groups." Carnarvon Gorge's rock art sites are thought to have been in use for at least 3,650 years. Leucaena. Thaaka shark In the Mt Moffatt section of the Park, excavations of Kenniff's Cave revealed occupational evidence dating back 19,500 years, indicating a long period of human habitation for the Central Queensland Highlands. Yalgari tree By the 1900s these groups had become integrated with the Aboriginal inhabitants, creating an interesting ethnic mix still evident today. The Department of Environment and Science acknowledges Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Owners and custodians of the land. There are three Aboriginal communities in the Gascoyne Region, two remote communities located within the Shire of Upper Gascoyne and one town-based community in East Carnarvon. Wurrinyu girl, young woman Recently, this idea has been strongly challenged by archaeologists reexamining the findings of those early excavations using modern techniques and technology. The pearling industry also recruited Chinese and Malay workers. Well, evidently the saturated brine in the lake is approximately 10 times saltier than seawater. Kangaroos and wallabies can be found around the picnic area and at night echidnas can be seen strolling about. Small-pox (moonnangno)was common among them.[8]. Mungallah Village is located in East Carnarvon. Many Aboriginal men and women worked in the pearling industry which began in the 1850s and peaked in the 1870s. TheLock Hospital Working Group was established to bring recognition to the tragic history and trauma inflicted on the Aboriginal population from across the state, when Aboriginal people were forcibly incarcerated on the remote Bernier and Dorre islands off the coast of Carnarvon. Gwoonwardu Mia, the Gascoyne Aboriginal Heritage and Cultural Centre, celebrates and recognises the culture of the five Aboriginal language groups of the Gascoyne region of Western Australia. Aboriginal people have a rich history in the Gascoyne region that precedesEuropean colonisation by tens of thousands of years. All Aboriginal sites and artefacts are protected by the Aboriginal Heritage Act. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window). Shark Bay District Office Aboriginal Languages - Shark Bay The region has a moderate arid tropical climate and is quite warm all year round, with winter temperaturesonly in the low 20s and summer temps hitting exceeding 40 degrees celsius. The Department of Environment and Science is committed to respecting, protecting and promoting human rights, and our obligations under the Human Rights Act 2019. The Department of Environment and Science collects personal information from you, including information about your email address and telephone number. The situation was defused with singing, dancing and an exchange of gifts. The gorge is a cool and moist oasis within the dry environment of central Queensland. The late Pleistocene was characterised by cold glacial and warm interglacial periods. Archaeological sites around Shark Bay tend to be close to the shoreline. Yiba sister Wuthuga dugong BURLGANYJA WANGGAYA: OLD PEOPLE TALKING - LISTEN, LEARN AND RESPECT. Gantharri grandchile, grandparent Wilyamaya tip of Heirisson Prong. The relevant PBC is Woodgoomungooh Aboriginal Corporation. Nyarlu woman There are currently no park alerts for this park. Unfortunately European settlement resulted in many Aboriginal languages not being used regularly. The most underrated aspect of the Carnarvon Gorge experience is the indigenous cultural heritage, obvious at sites such as the Art Gallery and Cathedral Cave. As of 2017, Olivia and Nathan opened Sandstone Park, an affordable camping alternative to Takarakka for campers that are relatively self-sufficient. Wirruwana Dirk Hartog Island It is conservatively estimated that more than 200 people died on the islands. A site near Eagle Bluff shows two periods of occupation, the first during the late Pleistocene between 30,000 and 18,000 years ago, and then during the Holocene about 7,000 to 6,000 years ago. Gwoonwardu Mia Aboriginal Heritage and Cultural Centre celebrates the region's Aboriginal heritage. Interestingly, many of the cameleers came from Pakistan, not Afghanistan. After introduction of the Pearling Act of 1870 a government official sent to Shark Bay in 1873 reported: I am satisfied that the Aboriginal natives are as a rule well-treated by their employers However, living conditions in the pearlers camps were poor and many workers died of dysentery and other diseases. Some Aboriginal workers were taken by force. Two years later Thomas Mitchell and his party passed to the west. Peron Peninsula was also important with middens found at many locations including Cape Peron, Cape Rose, Goulet Bluff and Eagle Bluff. Important cultural differences distinguished the Yinggarda from their neighbours. Excavation of a cave at Monkey Mia revealed the remains of molluscs, cuttlefish, crabs, dugongs, turtles and fish. Home > Culture & History > Aboriginal Heritage > Aboriginal Languages. Gwoonwardu Mia - Aboriginal Heritage and Cultural Centre - Carnarvon Stone for spears and tools was quarried on the western coast of Shark Bay at Crayfish Bay, and on the eastern coast at Yaringa near Gladstone. Nature, culture and history | Carnarvon Gorge, Carnarvon National Park European explorer Ludwig Leichhardt passed to Carnarvon Gorge's east in 1844, naming the Expedition Ranges visible in the distance from Boolimba Bluff. Carnarvon became the centre of a successful wool producing area. Please enter your Client Log-in user name and password for access to the Special Client Booking Facility. Key initiatives under this initial RAP will focus on communicating our commitment to reconciliation within our organisation and the community, increasing understanding of the reconciliation journey, and identifying Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stakeholders and organisations within our local area for collaborative opportunities. Lined with vegetation and fed by the waters of numerous side gorges, Carnarvon Creek winds between towering sandstone cliffs. Yinggarda country lies to the west of a line that separates tribes who performed circumcision (to the east) from those that did not (to the west). The State of Queensland (Department of Environment and Science) 20172023, Be inspired: Beyond brilliantan adventurers guide to Carnarvon Gorge, Need further information? Radcliffe-Browns comments about Yinggarda knowledge of section names suggests close links with northern groups. 63 Knight Terrace, With towering cliff faces, endless views, prolific wildlife and unsurpassed indigenous art sites are as good a walking destination as you find anywhere in the world. In 1932, a 26,300ha section of the gorge was declared as national park, after lobbying by the Royal Geographical Society of Queensland, which had organised expeditions into the area. In 1932, a pastoral lease over Carnarvon Gorge was allowed to lapse by its owners, Tableland Holdings. We can assume then that the Yinggarda had some (at least indirect) contact with people far to the east of their boundaries and perhaps well into the Western Desert areas. In the Mt Moffatt section of the Park, excavations of Kenniff's Cave revealed occupational evidence dating back 19,500 years, indicating a long period of human habitation for the Central Queensland Highlands. Most were not paid wages, just given basic foodstuffs, tobacco and a set of clothes. Aboriginal Culture Gascoyne Development Commission He named the river "Gascoyne" after a naval friend, Captain Gascoyne, and then trekked up the dry riverbed, discovering a pool of freshwater. The Yingkarta people, also written Inggarda and Ingarda, are an Aboriginal Australian people of the Gascoyne region of Western Australia . ABORIGINAL CULTURE Carnarvon's traditional owners are the Aboriginal Yinggarda people, who named this area long ago, Gwoonwardu, meaning 'neck of water'. Aboriginal people were employed to patrol station boundaries, crutch and shear sheep, trap dingoes and foxes, repair mechanical equipment, build fences and yards, sink wells, and break in horses. This means that concentration ponds, which are normally required to evaporate water to reach "salting point', aren't needed. They were present in that form due to the land management practices of the Bidjara and Karingbal peoples. The entire park lies within the Southern Brigalow Belt Bio-region. When the pearling season was over in the far north some workers were put ashore in the traditional country of rival tribes and forced to make their own way home. In R. M. Berndt & C. H. Berndt (Eds. They gathered oysters in the shallows, skin-dived for them, and collected them in wire dredges towed behind sailing boats. Perhaps for this reason, rather than because of any happy accident of history, the Yinggarda are recognised as an important group in the area, and people are able to identify themselves as Yinggarda or not, whichever the case may be. The Yinggarda intermarried with peoples to the north and also with the Wajarri who were generally unfriendly towards the coastal peoples. Food for the Mob On Country Kitchen based in Carnarvon. This is Shark Bay. Burringurrah is a medium sized community of approximately 120 people, situated within Wajarri country. Australia [4] It extended east of the Karajarri coastal zone, and from Port Hedland through to Marble Bar and Nullagine, south over the Shaw River, and north over . During an anthropological expedition in 19101911 social worker Daisy Bates described the hospitals as tombs of the living dead. ENTRY FEES General Entry to Gwoonwardu Mia is free. Carnarvon Gorge - an Aboriginal Rock Stencil Art site, with engravings of vulvas, emu and kangaroo tracks Recent additions, changes and updates to Don's Maps Navigation Abel Tasman Track in New Zealand Aboriginal Art of the Kimberleys Aboriginal art on the Northern Tablelands of NSW Aborigines of Australia Abri Pataud Tools Abri de Raymonden A. R. Radcliffe-Brown, writing in 1930, stated of them that: In the case of the Ingarda tribe to the south of the Gascoyne River it was impossible to determine if they really had or had not a section system. Very little is known of the sociolinguistic situation in the Gascoyne region of Western Australia prior to European contact, although a certain amount of more recent anthropological work has been done in the area. Two other French expeditions led by Baudin and de Freycinet noted the presence of groups of up to 30 Aboriginal people on Peron Peninsula. [1][2], There were two dialects, a northern and southern variety, with marked lexical differences. Of these about 200 live on the Aboriginal reserve; 100 in shanty type accom- . The sociolinguistic situation in the Gascoyne region today is drastically different from this and is in a state of flux. Interpretive Ranger Fred Conway discussing Aboriginal culture with visitors at the Art Gallery. Mission lives, mission stories The exhibition tells the story of how Aboriginal people were moved from the stations and their lives changed. Bilyunu baby Your personal information will be handled in accordance with the Information Privacy Act 2009. They closed stations down simply by killing large numbers of livestock and their attendant shepherds. Adapted from: Malgana Wangganyina (Talking Malgana): an Illustrated Wordlist of the Malgana Language of Western Australia. Whether you choose to walk the main track or simply relax at the park visitor area, you will have many opportunities to encounter and discover the gorge's plants and animals. Carnarvon's traditional owners are the Aboriginal Inggarda, Baiyunga, Thalanji, Malgana and Thudgarri people. in zigzag lines towards pools and camping places. In the long term, the sheep industry was not destined to fare well in Central Queensland and it eventually gave way to the cattle and mining industries. They named this area long ago, Kuwinywardu (Kow-win-wordo), meaning 'neck of water'. Carnarvon town Aboriginal ancestors lived in the area known as Carnarvon long before it became a town. It encompasses 298,000 hectares spread over seven sections which are managed from three different Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service units. t in place prior to colonisation. Today you can still see the reminder of this unique past in the 40m wide main street, which was built for the camels to safely manoeuvre around. The reasons for the gazettal are relatively simple; Carnarvon Gorge was an area recognised by Queenslanders (mainly through the promotional activities of the Royal Queensland Geographical Society) to be of high natural and scenic value. Fortunately by the 1960's whaling ceased and the station was sold to the Nor-West Whaling Company (later to be renamed the Nor-West Seafoods). Language Yinggarda was a Kartu language spoken from the coastal area around Carnarvon through the Gascoyne River to the junction and southwards to the Wooramel River. Unfortunately European settlement resulted in many Aboriginal languages not being used regularly. It is not known whether or not the Yinggarda had a section system. Some motifs were used by both Bidjara and Karingbal. The Carnarvon Gorge has great significance for the Bidjara people and other Aboriginal peoples such as the Garingbal, Gayiri, Gungabulla, Nguri, Wasjigu and Yiman peoples. Photo credit: B. Sigley Queensland Government. Geraldton: Yamaji Language Centre 2003. Carnarvon Gorge, gorge in southeastern Queensland, Australia, on the eastern slopes of Carnarvon Range of the Great Dividing Range. Prior to colonisation, law was administered through a religious framework so it is worthwhile taking spiritual beliefs into account when thinking about what social practices may have been the norm. Gurda brother Ngaya wattle In 1772 the French explorer Saint-Alouarn saw smoke coming from Dirk Hartog Island and his crew found what they believed was evidence of fires and a ceremonial area on the island. Like the Wajarri, these communities were more isolated and thus more successfully withstood the worst ravages of European settlement in the region. In 1978 the Texada Mines sold the venture to Dampier Salt limited, who have continued to process and export salt around the world. There are about 130 registered Aboriginal heritage sites in the Shark Bay area including quarries, rock shelters, burial sites and large scatters of discarded shells, bone and other food-related artefacts known as middens. Bandana Station who ran Sunset Shows and have switched toaccommodation in 2017 with the establishment of Sandstone Park. The fact that they did not circumcise also suggests that they would have interacted more closely with their northern and southern neighbours in ritual practice than they did with the Wajarri to the east, despite the indications that their relations with the Wajarri were better than for most coastal groups. Aboriginal people have a long and continuing relationship with this dramatic landscape. Looking like ill-tended orchards, these are leucaena plantations. In 2005, the Federal Government gave funding for the continued effort in finding the ship. Warda pearl Aboriginal Business Development Forum 2020, Kanyara languages: comprising Baiyungu as well as Dhalanyji, Purduna and Binigura, Kartu languages: comprising Yinggarda, Malgana, Wajarri as well as groups Badimaya and Nhanda, Mantharta languages: comprising Tharrkari as well as Thiin, Jiwarli and Warriyangka. Buthurru sand Somewhere off the coast between Geraldton and Carnarvon the Australian Cruiser with her crew of 645 sank and all souls on board perished. Bush medicines were readily available, as is mentioned in the section on Carnarvon Gorge's flora. The western heritage centred around Carnarvon Gorge is quite rich and, like the indigenous heritage, is a major theme during Australian Nature Guides' Day Tours. Wirruwana Dirk Hartog Island Please share your experience with this websites content and functionality. Wulyibidi Peron Peninsula All rights reserved. Following is a list of Malgana words and their English translations: Yamaji Aboriginal person In 2009, the Thudgari People were granted native title over an area of 11,280sq km in the eastern Gascoyne. Primarily created by water erosion, Carnarvon Gorge is around 30 kilometres long, located in Carnarvon National Park, and six hundred metres deep at the mouth. Denham WA 6357. As with many conflicts, the undeclared war between Aboriginals and settlers in Central Queensland can be viewed from afar as a battle for resources. Yadgalah, yajala friend What makes Carnarvon unique. In fact if you walk with Simon, you'll be able to sort out which of the early yarns has a chance of ringing true and which are likely to have been 'enhanced' for the entertainment of visitors. The bronze sculpture, 'Don't look at the Islands'endeavours to embody the core element of forcible separation expressed through the eyes of the children whose parents, family and larger tribe were physically torn apart, though children were also forcibly removed to the Islands. In some sections the sandstone has been so undercut by erosion that . 22 Sanford Street (PO Box 433) Today, there are over 70 banana plantations in Carnarvon, covering 350 hectares and producing 4,194 tonnes of bananas annually. Gwoonwardu Mia, the Gascoyne Aboriginal Heritage and Cultural Centre, is a multipurpose centre that celebrates the five Aboriginal language groups of the Gascoyne Region. Gantharri grandchile, grandparent Prior to this, the Gnulli native title claim was determined in December 2019 giving recognition to the Yinggarda, Baiyungu and Thalanyji People over an area of 71,354 square kilometres. About 250 different Aboriginal languages were spoken when Europeans first settled in Australia, including three in the Shark Bay region: Malgana, Nanda and Yingkarta. The community were originally located on the Gascoyne river near Carnarvon but wererelocated in the 1980s to new housing and a purpose-built community at Greys Plains to overcome the regular seasonal flooding of the river. 2. We collect this information to contact you with any follow-up questions. Mulhagarda whiting Several hundred Aboriginal people across Western Australia were forcibly removed from their families and country to the lock hospitals. This will be one hundred years to the day since the last person was removed from the islands and the hospitals closed. These initiatives create local economic, training and employment opportunities, as well as generating environmental and cultural outcomes. Hospital records were poorly kept but about a third of the patients admitted to the lock hospitals are thought to have died on the islands. The groups to the north of the Gascoyne River were characterised by a four section system and a variation on the Aranda marriage pattern (called the Mardudhunera (Martuthunira) type by Radcliffe-Brown). Yalgari tree The Burrowing Bees - The big hairy bee that is unique to the Gascoyne region is called Mungurrgurra or sometimes Jurrabarri. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Bandana Station first diversified into tourism byrunning popular Sunset Shows on the property at atime when they were alsoswitching the property over to organic production. Yamaji (or Yamatji) is the name used to identify Aboriginal people in the Murchison and Gascoyne regions of Western Australia. [b] Since the Inggarda social bands contiguous with the Watjarri were known under the distinct hordal name of Kurudandi (perhaps surviving in the contemporary station toponym Coordewandy, Tindale suggested that while the Inggarda to the east had not adopted this rite, the western clans might have at some time taken up the practice as current among the Watjarri. ThePath of Pain project centres on an installation piece utilising a series of chain link bench seats that together symbolise the pilgrimage roadway that Aboriginal People were forced to traverse as they were transferred to the islands. 146 Robinson Street, Carnarvon WA 6701, Australia, Book your experience with a trusted local today, 2023 Shire of Carnarvon Powered by Bookeasy, Developed by Impart Media. Marlu small kangaroo species You come this way. Station lives, station stories The pastoral stations are central to the story of Aboriginal people, who remember the station days as hard but good times. Mardirra pink snapper In Shark Bay, Malgana people are represented by the Yadgalah Aboriginal Corporation. On the drive into Carnarvon Gorge, many visitors' interest is piqued by an odd crop grown in paddocks on the creek flats. Powerful owl in fan palm adjacent to Carnarvon Creek. They are also known as Dawsons Burrowing Bee (Amegilla dawsoni) and are one of the worlds largest bee species. The German Commander of the Kormoran, who was one of the survivors, remained adamant that the ship, fully ablaze, simply drifted off. in the town itself. Wurrinyu girl, young woman Modern aims include Catchment preservation - the headwaters of five major catchments lie within the Park's boundaries, feeding into the Fitzroy, Murray-Darling and Lake Eyre Basins. Intimate knowledge of their country made Aboriginal people essential to the pastoral industry when it began in the late 1860s with the introduction of sheep. Much of the Western knowledge of the Gorge's pre-history comes from archaeological excavations of the Art Gallery and Cathedral Cave. The settlers were then free to pursue their agricultural aspirations and the bushland began to recede before their saws and axes. (, Department of Aboriginal Affairs, Western Australia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Yingkarta&oldid=1149071221, This page was last edited on 10 April 2023, at 01:11. Population numbers swell seasonally. Aboriginal rock art sites . The Shire of Carnarvon is committed to honouring the traditional custodians' unique cultural and spiritual relationships to the land, waters and seas and their rich contribution to society. While many of the items have restricted access, Library staff are more than happy to assist with customer enquiries. The area was settled in 1876 by the Browns and the Brockman's, who travelled from York to Carnarvon, with 4,000 sheep. For all other enquiries, comments and complaints, please contact us. They knew the names of the sections of the Maia and Warienga [Warriyangka] tribes and every man claimed membership of a particular section. However, the available information suggests that the Wajarri were like members of Radcliffe-Browns Nanda type group in having a poorly-defined section system. In the case of the Ingarda tribe to the south of the Gascoyne River it was impossible to determine if they really had or had not a section system. Nanga mother The light table An interactive experience presenting animation, information, images and sound. Wiyabandi young man The Gascoyne is known as an upside-down river, because it flows for about 120 days of the year, but therest of the year, it is a dry riverbed with water flowing below it, draining out into the ocean past the rivermouth. Many family members who were separated during the lock hospital scheme never saw each other again. Local material culture was quite sophisticated, and much knowledge of it can be gleaned simply by observing what has been stencilled at the art sites. Australia Copies can be purchased from: The Yamaji Language Centre Carnarvon youth leaders plan to curb rising crime rates with - ABC So proud of the town's successful banana industry, the local tourist bureau even bought a 10m yellow banana, which now stands on the corner of Robinson Street and Boundary Road. The Lock Hospitals operated on Bernier and Dorre Islands via Carnarvon between 1908 and 1919. Jurruna pelican Essentially it is a large water storage system under the desert. Carnarvon Gorge | Queensland, Australia | Britannica While the community currently faces significant social challenges, there are important social and community initiatives being driven by members of this community in partnership with local non-government organisations and the Shire of Carnarvon. Thaaka shark He contacted Aborigines in May 1858 near the present-day township of Carnarvon (Green 1981), but made no attempt to speak to them. The same water, still flowing from the rock, has drawn people to Carnarvon Gorge for many thousands of years. Archaeologically and anthropologically, these sites are of international significance, containing examples of stencilling techniques considered to be the most sophisticated of their kind in the world. In 1986 the Lock Hospitals were registered as protected areas under the Aboriginal Heritage Act. Lined with vegetation and fed by the waters of numerous side gorges, Carnarvon Creek winds between towering sandstone cliffs. To the east, water travels down steep-sided valleys, including Carnarvon Gorge, into the Comet and Dawson rivers. The tribes inhabiting the headwaters of the Fortescue, Ashburton, Gascoyne and Murchison districts and the Upper Murchison and Goldfields areas appear to have extensive highways running East and West or N.E. Migarda thorny devil Thayadi, thayirri snake Since the introduction of Wajarri law to Carnarvon, and largely because of it, the ties between Carnarvon and communities further to the north, who also continue to practice male initiation by circumcision, were strengthened. 146 Robinson Street, Carnarvon, Western Australia, 6701 Region Coral Coast Telephone +61 8 9941 1989 +61 448 369 681 26 reviews Visit website Gwoonwardu Mia Gascoyne Aboriginal Heritage and Cultural Centre is a multipurpose centre that celebrates the culture and country. The State Government subsequently gazetted 65,000 hectares as Carnarvon Gorge National Park.