Traditional lands of Australian Aboriginal Tribes around Derby

The Nyulnyul, also spelt Nyul Nyul, Njolnjol, Nyolnyol and other variants, 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 Kimberley region of

Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...

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 ...

, the Nyulnyul held sway over some of tribal land. They were located on the western side of the

Dampier Peninsula The Dampier Peninsula is a peninsula located north of Broome and Roebuck Bay in Western Australia. It is surrounded by the Indian Ocean to the west and north, and King Sound to the east. It is named after the mariner and explorer William Damp ...

. Historically, the pressure of the

Nimanburu The Nimanburu were an Aboriginal Australian people of the Kimberley region of Western Australia. Language The Nimanburu language was one of the Nyulnyulan languages. Their speech was described by other aboriginal informants as a 'heavy' dialec ...

led to them ceding ground on the

King Sound King Sound is a large gulf in northern Western Australia. It expands from the mouth of the Fitzroy River, one of Australia's largest watercourses, and opens to the Indian Ocean. It is about long, and averages about in width. The port town ...

, and by Tindale's time they were present from Cape Borda to Sandy Point, and at Carlyle Head and Goodenough Bay across the peninsula. Running clockwise, their northern neighbours were the

Bardi people The Bardi people, also spelt Baada or Baardi and other variations, are an Aboriginal Australian people, living north of Broome and inhabiting parts of the Dampier Peninsula in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. They are ethnically cl ...

, the Nimanburu lay on their southeastern flank, while the

Djaberadjabera The Jabirr Jabbirr are an Indigenous Australian people of the Kimberley region of Western Australia. Jabirr Jabirr, is also written as Jabirrjabirr and with other spellings such as DjaberrDjaberr, Djaberadjabera, Dyaberdyaber and Jabba Jabba. Th ...

were directly south on the adjacent coast.

Language

The Nyulnyul people spoke the

Nyulnyul language Nyulnyul is an dormant Australian Aboriginal language, formerly spoken by the Nyulnyul people of Western Australia. Mary Carmel Charles is documented as the last fluent speaker of the Nyulnyul language of Western Australia. Phonology Conson ...

Social organisation

The Nyulnyul had a 4 section marriage and descent system.

Alternative spelling

* Njolnjol * Nyolnyol * Nyul Nyul

Notes

Citations

Sources

* * * * * * * * * * * {{authority control Aboriginal peoples of Western Australia