The Gawambaraay (Kawambarai) 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 Islands ...
people of the state of
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 ...
, closely connected to the
Gamilaraay (Kamilaroi) people. Their traditional lands are in the
central–western district of New South Wales
Name
The
ethnonym
An ethnonym () is a name applied to a given ethnic group. Ethnonyms can be divided into two categories: exonyms (whose name of the ethnic group has been created by another group of people) and autonyms, or endonyms (whose name is created and used ...
is thought to derive from a language name, ''kawam'' being equivalent to ''guin'', and bearing the sense of 'no'. One other word used denoting the tribe, ''Wirriri'' also seems to reflect a word for no, namely ''wir:i''
Language
The Gawambaraay or Kawambarai language is a dialect of the
Gamilaraay language
The Gamilaraay or Kamilaroi language is a Pama–Nyungan languages, Pama–Nyungan language of the Wiradhuric languages, Wiradhuric subgroup found mostly in south-eastern Australia. It is the traditional language of the Gamilaraay, Gamilaraay ( ...
group.
Country
According to
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 ...
's estimate, the Kawambarai held sway over roughly of tribal lands, concentrated on the areas of the
upper Castlereagh River, the middle
the middle sectors of the Macquarie River and part of
Liverpool Plains
The Liverpool Plains are an extensive agricultural area covering about of the north-western slopes of New South Wales in Australia.
These plains are a region of prime agricultural land bounded to the east by the Great Dividing Range, to the s ...
. Their southern extension ran to the vicinity of present-day
Dubbo
Dubbo () is a city in the Orana Region of New South Wales, Australia. It is the largest population centre in the Orana region, with a population of 43,516 at June 2021.
The city is located at the intersection of the Newell, Mitchell, and Gol ...
.
People
Richardson affirmed that the Kawambarai were closely connected to the
Gamilaroi
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 ...
.
Alternative names
* ''Cooinburri''
* ''Gawambarai''
* ''Goinberai''
* ''Guinbrai, Guinberai''
* ''Kawarnparai''
* ''Koinbere, Koinberi''
* ''Koinberri''
* ''Mole tribe''
* ''Wirriri''
* ''Wirriwirri''
* ''Wooratherie''
Source:
Some words
* (father)
* (mother)
* () () (whiteman)
* (tame dog)
*
Notes
Citations
Sources
*
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{{authority control
Aboriginal peoples of New South Wales