The Bidjigal (also spelt Bediagal, Bejigal, Bedegal or Biddegal) people are an
Aboriginal Australian
Aboriginal Australians are the various Indigenous peoples of the Australian mainland and many of its islands, such as Tasmania, Fraser Island, Hinchinbrook Island, the Tiwi Islands, and Groote Eylandt, but excluding the Torres Strait Isl ...
people whose traditional lands are modern-day
western
Western may refer to:
Places
*Western, Nebraska, a village in the US
*Western, New York, a town in the US
*Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western world, countries that id ...
,
north-western,
south-eastern, and
southern Sydney, in
New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
, Australia. The land includes the
Bidjigal Reserve
The Bidjigal Reserve is a reserve in New South Wales, Australia. It lies predominantly within The Hills Shire, with a small section south of the M2 Motorway in the City of Parramatta. The reserve lies in the suburbs of , , , , West Pennant Hil ...
,
Salt Pan Creek
Salt Pan Creek is an urban watercourse of the Georges River catchment, located in the Canterbury-Bankstown region of Sydney, in New South Wales, Australia.
Course and features
Salt Pan Creek rises west southwest of the suburb of Mount Lewis, w ...
and the
Georges River. They are part of the
Dharug language
The Dharug language, also spelt Darug, Dharuk, and other variants, and also known as the Sydney language, Gadigal language ( Sydney city area), is an Australian Aboriginal language of the Yuin–Kuric group that was traditionally spoken in th ...
group, and there is debate as to whether the clan is part of the
Dharug
The Dharug or Darug people, formerly known as the Broken Bay tribe, are an Aboriginal Australian people, who share strong ties of kinship and, in pre-colonial times, lived as skilled hunters in family groups or clans, scattered throughout much ...
or
Eora people.
The Bidjigal clan were the first Indigenous Australians to encounter the
First Fleet.
Led by
Pemulwuy
Pemulwuy (also rendered as Pimbloy, Pemulvoy, Pemulwoy, Pemulwy or Pemulwye, or sometimes by contemporary Europeans as Bimblewove, Bumbleway or Bembulwoyan) (c. 1750 – 2 June 1802) was a Bidjigal man of the Eora nation, born around 1750 in t ...
, the Bidjigal people resisted
European colonisation from the
First Fleet's arrival in 1788.
Identity
The Bidjigal are sometimes said to be a clan of the
Dharug
The Dharug or Darug people, formerly known as the Broken Bay tribe, are an Aboriginal Australian people, who share strong ties of kinship and, in pre-colonial times, lived as skilled hunters in family groups or clans, scattered throughout much ...
people, and sometimes a clan of the
Eora people. This, in part, stems from the anthropological debate around whether the Eora people were a distinct clan, or whether Eora was a general term in colonial papers to refer to Aboriginal people. Additionally, academic Kohen has suggested that there may have been some confusion between two distinct groups: the Bidjigal (living in the Baulkham Hills area) and the ''Bediagal'' at Botany Bay in the
Salt Pan Creek
Salt Pan Creek is an urban watercourse of the Georges River catchment, located in the Canterbury-Bankstown region of Sydney, in New South Wales, Australia.
Course and features
Salt Pan Creek rises west southwest of the suburb of Mount Lewis, w ...
area.
Anthropologist Val Attenbrow discusses their possible origin and location, and concludes that the question is "somewhat vexed".
Norman Tindale
Norman Barnett Tindale AO (12 October 1900 – 19 November 1993) was an Australian anthropologist, archaeologist, entomologist and ethnologist.
Life
Tindale was born in Perth, Western Australia in 1900. His family moved to Tokyo and lived ther ...
, referring on the earliest historical sources, regarded them as a
horde occupying the area just north of
Castle Hill, Their geographical location is confusing, as they seem to have been based in southern Sydney, in the region between the
Cooks River,
Wolli Creek
Wolli Creek () is an urban watercourse of the Cooks River catchment located in the southern suburbs of Sydney, in New South Wales, Australia.
Course and features
Wolli Creek rises south of Narwee, within Beverly Hills Park, Beverly Hills, and fl ...
and the
Georges River to
Salt Pan Creek
Salt Pan Creek is an urban watercourse of the Georges River catchment, located in the Canterbury-Bankstown region of Sydney, in New South Wales, Australia.
Course and features
Salt Pan Creek rises west southwest of the suburb of Mount Lewis, w ...
, and yet also seem to have inhabited land in the
Hills District of Sydney, in what is now .
Coastal areas and beaches such as
Bondi and
Coogee are believed to have been concurrently occupied by a combination of Bidjigal,
Gadigal
The Cadigal, also spelled as Gadigal and Caddiegal, are a group of Indigenous people whose traditional lands are located in Gadi, on Eora country, the location of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
The Gadigal originally inhabited the area that ...
and Birrabirrragal clan groups, who were a shared saltwater cultural group, all from the Dharug language group and strong ties of kinship.
Culture
Significance of Fire
Fire is of central importance to Bidjigal culture and practices. This includes Smoking Ceremonies, which are a means of communicating with the Fire Spirit.
Smoking ceremonies are part of many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clan’s cultures, and are a means of cleansing people and places of bad spirits to protect from the dangerous powers of spiritual beings.
Gender
Men, women and children have different roles in the clan. Men are the warriors, gatekeepers and protectors, while women are storytellers and nurturers.
The men are taught to respect and care for the women.
Men and women would contribute to fishing, the main source of food for the Bidjigal people.
Men would use spears to hunt the fish while the women would use hooks and lines, and both would do so on canoes made from local wood.
The women would also gather shellfish.
Shellwork
The women and girls have historically made decorative and functional ‘shellwork’ from seashells.
Shellwork is common amongst coastal Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, although the connections and practices remain under-researched.
La Perouse remains a major site of production.
The shellwork was popular amongst tourists, particularly amongst white women. The shellwork still blurs the line between art and artefact, and is now often part of museum exhibitions.
In 2015 Bidjigal elder and artist/shellworker Esme Timbery collaborated with
Wiradjuri
The Wiradjuri people (; ) are a group of Aboriginal Australian people from central New South Wales, united by common descent through kinship and shared traditions. They survived as skilled hunter-fisher-gatherers, in family groups or clans, a ...
/
Kamilaroi
The Gamilaraay, also known as Gomeroi, Kamilaroi, Kamillaroi and other variations, are an Aboriginal Australian people whose lands extend from New South Wales to southern Queensland. They form one of the four largest Indigenous nations in Aust ...
artist
Jonathan Jones on the seven-story shell art installation ‘Shell Wall 2015’ in
Barangaroo
Barangaroo was the second wife of Bennelong, who was interlocutor between the Aboriginal people and the early British colonists in New South Wales. Barangaroo was a member of the Cammeraygal clan. While Bennelong spent considerable time in th ...
.
The public artwork remains on the southern side of the Alexander residential building.
Koojay Corroboree
A
Corroboree
A corroboree is a generic word for a meeting of Australian Aboriginal peoples. It may be a sacred ceremony, a festive celebration, or of a warlike character. A word coined by the first British settlers in the Sydney area from a word in the l ...
broadly refers to a meeting of Aboriginal Australians, sometimes of different clans. The Randwick City Council, in conjunction with the La Perouse Local Aboriginal Land Council, have hosted an annual Koojay Corroboree since 2015, although not running in 2021 due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
.
The Koojay Corroboree is held on
Coogee Beach Coogee Beach may refer to:
*Coogee, New South Wales, beach in Sydney, NSW, Australia
*Coogee, Western Australia
Coogee is a southern coastal suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located within the City of Cockburn.
History
The suburb takes its ...
, with the name referring to the traditional Darug name for the beach, Koojay.
The Koojay Corroboree is held during
National Reconciliation Week (NRW) and commemorates the Bidjigal and
Gadigal
The Cadigal, also spelled as Gadigal and Caddiegal, are a group of Indigenous people whose traditional lands are located in Gadi, on Eora country, the location of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
The Gadigal originally inhabited the area that ...
people, who both inhabited the land.
The festival involves cultural activities, such as fire ceremonies, song and dance.
Language group
They were a subgroup/clan of either the Dharug or Eora people, the Bidjigal would have spoken a variety of
Dharug
The Dharug or Darug people, formerly known as the Broken Bay tribe, are an Aboriginal Australian people, who share strong ties of kinship and, in pre-colonial times, lived as skilled hunters in family groups or clans, scattered throughout much ...
, one of the
Yora languages.
The name ''Bidjigal'' means ''plains-dweller'' in the Dharug language.
History
The Bidjigal population was an estimated 500 people at the time of the British arrival, making them one of the most densely populated areas prior to colonisation. The Bidjigal clan, like many of the Darug people, utilised their access to water for fishing, with fish being their main source of food.
This includes
Georges rivers,
Cooks River,
Salt Pan Creek
Salt Pan Creek is an urban watercourse of the Georges River catchment, located in the Canterbury-Bankstown region of Sydney, in New South Wales, Australia.
Course and features
Salt Pan Creek rises west southwest of the suburb of Mount Lewis, w ...
,
Wolli Creek
Wolli Creek () is an urban watercourse of the Cooks River catchment located in the southern suburbs of Sydney, in New South Wales, Australia.
Course and features
Wolli Creek rises south of Narwee, within Beverly Hills Park, Beverly Hills, and fl ...
and parts of the
Hawkesbury River
The Hawkesbury River, or Hawkesbury-Nepean River, is a river located northwest of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The Hawkesbury River and its associated main tributary, the Nepean River, almost encircle the metropolitan region of Sydney.
...
. This has resulted in different sea animals, including the whales and eels, being totemic, or culturally significant.
The eel's migratory journey would be celebrated at the start of the eel's migration, or the ‘running of the eels’, with feasts and ceremonies.
Archaeological evidence has also indicated different tools and weapons were used for hunting local wildlife on land, such as
boomerangs
A boomerang () is a thrown tool, typically constructed with aerofoil sections and designed to spin about an axis perpendicular to the direction of its flight. A returning boomerang is designed to return to the thrower, while a non-returning b ...
.
Colonisation and its impacts
![Pemulwuy aka Pimbloy](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1e/Pemulwuy_aka_Pimbloy.jpg)
The Bidjigal people were the first to encounter
Captain Cook
James Cook (7 November 1728 Old Style date: 27 October – 14 February 1779) was a British explorer, navigator, cartographer, and captain in the British Royal Navy, famous for his three voyages between 1768 and 1779 in the Pacific Ocean and ...
and the First Fleet.
There was a strong Aboriginal resistance to colonisation. There was a period of sustained warfare throughout coastal Sydney, involving the Bidjigal clan at the
Sydney basin, from 1788 to 1817.
The Aboriginal people utilised
guerrilla-style warfare, as a way of combating the vast gap in weaponry capabilities to the colonists.
One battle tactic was their War Dance, where the Aboriginal fighters would dance from a high vantage point to distract hostile colonists and slow their reloading speed before throwing spears.
Prospect Hill was one of the major sites of warfare and Indigenous deaths.
Despite their resistance, several factors resulted in their displacement and the destruction of their ability to continue many aspects of their traditional way of life.
The clan was severely weakened by the many deaths caused by the
smallpox epidemic
Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by variola virus (often called smallpox virus) which belongs to the genus Orthopoxvirus. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (WHO) cer ...
in 1790. At the time,
Governor Phillip estimated deaths to be around half of the Aboriginal people, although estimates since then have been much higher, with most of the Bidjigal clan perishing.
Debate remains around whether or not the disease was smallpox or
chickenpox, and whether it was brought deliberately by European colonists. Nonetheless, the deaths decimated population size.
This, alongside continuing expansion and violence from encroaching colonists into the area, prevented the Bidjigal clan from living living as they used to, although descendants continue to preserve and celebrate their culture.
Rock art and middens from the Bidjigal people remain in several areas across Sydney, including Bondi, George's River and the heritage listed paintings in a hidden, private cave in
Undercliffe.
These historical sites are at risk of being eroded and/or lost for a variety of reasons, including public intervention, vandalism, natural erosion and failure of governments or councils to take necessary actions to ensure preservation.
Bidjigal Reserve
The Bidjigal Reserve is a 300 hectare corridor of protected public bushland along Darling Mills Creek, mostly lying within The Hills Shire.
The Bidjigal clan have inhabited the area for at least 40 000 years.
The rock overhangs and caves provided shelter, freshwater provided the opportunity for fishing, and the plants and animals were utilised for food, medicine and creating tools.
In 1804 3,800 the Bidjigal reserve was included in 3,800 acres of land set aside by the Governor King as the Baulkham Hills Common, which was then given in 1818 to private individuals as land grants.
The area was named Excelsior Reserve, and the flora and fauna suffered from the introduction of foreign wildlife, such as foxes, clearing of the land by settlers for construction projects, and wildfires.
One such project was the M2 Motorway, which was considered ‘environmentally controversial’ due to the destruction and disconnection of parts of the bushland.
In 2004, an agreement was reached between the Indigenous population and the local council, whereby representatives of Darug descendants were included on a new board, and the park was renamed from Excelsior Reserve to Bidjigal, and the Native Title claim over the area was withdrawn.
Sydney light rail construction
The Bidjigal clan were part of a conflict between Aboriginal elders and the Federal Government regarding the construction of the Sydney light rail following the discovery of Indigenous artefacts on the construction site. Over 22 000 artefacts were found in a 100-metre-square area around the light rail’s proposed tram stabling yard in Randwick, including spearheads and cutting tools. Transport for NSW employed four Aboriginal groups to advise on cultural heritage following the discovery.
Bidjigal elders claimed that paid consultants were chosen over the traditional owners in consultation, and that the consultants had a vested interest in the construction going ahead.
Despite protest and an emergency heritage appeal under the federal ‘Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act’, construction went ahead.
Federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt ultimately determined that the area did not satisfy a significant Aboriginal area, and denied an emergency stop work order. Over 21,000 artefacts were excavated and preserved, although thousands more were disturbed and destroyed by construction. The presence of objects such as weapons indicate the area was a site of conflict, marking a high probability of death occurring on the site.
Modern place name
The name of the Bidjigal is today remembered by the name of the
Bidjigal Reserve
The Bidjigal Reserve is a reserve in New South Wales, Australia. It lies predominantly within The Hills Shire, with a small section south of the M2 Motorway in the City of Parramatta. The reserve lies in the suburbs of , , , , West Pennant Hil ...
, in Baulkham Hills, Castle Hill,
Carlingford,
North Rocks and
Northmead to the north-west of Sydney. The Bidjigal Reserve was known as ''Excelsior Park'' until 2004, when it was dedicated to preserve Aboriginal cultural heritage, local flora and fauna and for public recreation. The Bidjigal word Wolli means 'camping place', and is the name suburb and waterway through the Wolli Creek Valley, both being Wolli Creek.
Notable individuals
Perhaps the most famous Bidjigal person was
Pemulwuy
Pemulwuy (also rendered as Pimbloy, Pemulvoy, Pemulwoy, Pemulwy or Pemulwye, or sometimes by contemporary Europeans as Bimblewove, Bumbleway or Bembulwoyan) (c. 1750 – 2 June 1802) was a Bidjigal man of the Eora nation, born around 1750 in t ...
, who successfully led Aboriginal resistance forces against European colonisation, before finally being captured and killed by explorer
Henry Hacking
Henry Hacking (1750 – 21 July 1831) was an Australian seaman and early explorer in New South Wales. He was responsible for shooting and killing the Aboriginal resistance fighter Pemulwuy in 1802.
Biography
Hacking was quartermaster of , t ...
in 1802. The treatment of his severed head and Pemulwuy's depiction in European art remain the subject of controversy and academic pursuit, in their significance as representatives of European disregard for Aboriginal culture and paternalism.
William Victor Simms, known as Vic Simms or Uncle Vic, is a Bidjigal man and Australian singer and songwriter.
He was the first Aboriginal man to appear on commercial TV and became an international recording artist.
Josh Cook
Josh Cook (born 15 June 1991) is a British racing driver currently competing in the British Touring Car Championship. He debuted in 2015, after being the runner-up in the Renault Clio Cup United Kingdom in 2014.
Racing career
Cook began his c ...
is a professional rugby league footballer and is part of the Bidjigal and
Yuin
The Yuin nation, also spelt Djuwin, is a group of Australian Aboriginal peoples from the South Coast of New South Wales. All Yuin people share ancestors who spoke, as their first language, one or more of the Yuin language dialects. Sub-group ...
clans.
The Timbery family
![Emma, Queen of La Perouse (Emma Timbery), Aboriginal shellworker - portrait, 1895 - unknown photographer (25574682996)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/94/Emma%2C_Queen_of_La_Perouse_%28Emma_Timbery%29%2C_Aboriginal_shellworker_-_portrait%2C_1895_-_unknown_photographer_%2825574682996%29.jpg)
The Timbery family are said to have been present when the First Fleet arrived, and are descendents of Pemulwuy.
They have notably impacted Aboriginal and secular culture, and still remain in the
La Perouse area where they first discovered the First Fleet.
They continue to tell their family story of the invasion, which tells that they gained some level of trust from the colonisers, turning into responsibility for certain members of the family such as Joe Timbere, who was designated 'King of the Five Islands' by Governor Lachlan Macquarie in 1816.
However, they also allege that their openness did not protect them from the cruelty of the colonisers, who still raped and abused the women of the clan.
Esme Timbery
Esme Timbery (born 14 February 1931 and also known by her married name, Russell) is an Australian Bidjigal shellworker. Timbery's shellwork has contemporary elements, blended with the traditional medium. She has work in the collections of severa ...
is a Bidjigal woman and elder.
She is also a notable shell worker, with her art featured in several museums throughout Australia.
Esme and her late sister Rose are fourth-generation shell artist and descendents of
Emma Timbery, who began the family tradition of shellwork, amongst other achievements in language preservation. The men have partaken in the wooden crafts, with members such as Joe Timbery being a notable boomerang and shield maker.
Laddie Timbery also gained notability in his later life for his boomerangs, valued both artistically and culturally.
Garry Purchase is an artist of Dharawal, Bidjigal and Dhungutti descent, and is part of the Timbery family. His paintings "The Journey" and “Missing Pieces” won both the Aboriginal Health award in 2014, 2016 and 2017 respectively.
“The Journey” also won the People's Choice award at Mental Health Art Works! 2014.
See also
*
Aboriginal Australians
Aboriginal Australians are the various Indigenous peoples of the Australian mainland and many of its islands, such as Tasmania, Fraser Island, Hinchinbrook Island, the Tiwi Islands, and Groote Eylandt, but excluding the Torres Strait Isl ...
*
Cadigal
The Cadigal, also spelled as Gadigal and Caddiegal, are a group of Indigenous people whose traditional lands are located in Gadi, on Eora country, the location of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
The Gadigal originally inhabited the area t ...
*
Pemulwuy
Pemulwuy (also rendered as Pimbloy, Pemulvoy, Pemulwoy, Pemulwy or Pemulwye, or sometimes by contemporary Europeans as Bimblewove, Bumbleway or Bembulwoyan) (c. 1750 – 2 June 1802) was a Bidjigal man of the Eora nation, born around 1750 in t ...
Notes
Citations
Sources
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Further reading
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{{authority control
Aboriginal peoples of New South Wales
Ethnic groups in Sydney
Australian Aboriginal culture
Eora
Sydney