The Kulin nation is an alliance of five Aboriginal nations in south central Victoria, Australia. Their collective territory extends around Port Phillip and Western Port, up into the

Great Dividing Range The Great Dividing Range, also known as the East Australian Cordillera or the Eastern Highlands, is a cordillera system in eastern Australia consisting of an expansive collection of mountain ranges, plateaus and rolling hills, that runs rough ...

and the

Loddon Loddon may refer to: *Loddon, Norfolk in England, UK *Shire of Loddon in Victoria, Australia (since 1995) **Bridgewater On Loddon, Victoria in Australia *River Loddon, flows into the River Thames near Reading * Loddon River, flows north from south o ...

and Goulburn River valleys. Before British colonisation, the tribes spoke five related languages. These languages are spoken by two groups: the Eastern Kulin group of Woiwurrung, Boonwurrung, Taungurung and Ngurai-illam-wurrung; and the western language group of just Wathaurung. The central Victoria area has been inhabited for an estimated 40,000 years before European settlement. At the time of British settlement in the 1830s, the collective populations of the Woiwurrung, Boonwurrung and Wathaurong tribes of the Kulin nation was estimated to be under 20,000. The Kulin lived by fishing, cultivating

murnong The murnong or yam daisy is any of the plants ''Microseris walteri'', '' Microseris lanceolata'' and ''Microseris scapigera'', which are an important food source for many Aboriginal peoples in southern parts of Australia. The roots of the murnong ...

(also called yam daisy; '' Microseris'') as well as hunting and gathering, and made a sustainable living from the rich food sources of Port Phillip and the surrounding

grassland A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses ( Poaceae). However, sedge ( Cyperaceae) and rush ( Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes, like clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur na ...

s. Due to the upheaval and disturbances from British settlement from the 1830s on, there is limited physical evidence of the Kulin peoples' collective past. However, there is a small number of registered sites of cultural and spiritual significance in the

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/ Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a metro ...

area.

Nations

* Woiwurrung (Woy-wur-rung) – the

Wurundjeri The Wurundjeri people are an Australian Aboriginal people of the Woiwurrung language group, in the Kulin nation. They are the Traditional Owners of the Birrarung (Yarra River) Valley, covering much of the present location of Narrm ( Melbo ...

people * Boonwurrung – the Boonwurrung people * Wathaurong (Wath-er-rung) – the Wathaurong people * Taungurung (Tung-ger-rung) – the Taungurung people * Dja Dja Wurrung (Jar-Jar-Wur-rung) – the Dja Dja Wurrung or Jaara people At certain times of the year, these nations would meet at Yarra Falls to settle disputes, to trade, and to hold corroborees.

Diplomacy

When foreign people passed through or are invited onto tribal lands, the ceremony of Tanderrum – freedom of the bush – is performed. This is intended to allow for safe passage and temporary access and use of land and resources by foreign people. It is a diplomatic rite involving the landholder's hospitality and a ritual exchange of gifts.

Notes

Citations

Bibliography

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External links

Kulin nation

{{authority control Aboriginal peoples of Victoria (Australia) Kulin nation