The Taungurung people, also spelt ''Daung Wurrung'', are an Aboriginal people who are one of the Kulin nations in present-day

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

, Australia. They consist of nine clans whose traditional language is the Taungurung language. Their Country is to the north of 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 ...

in the watersheds of the Broken, Delatite, Coliban,

Goulburn Goulburn ( ) is a regional city in the Southern Tablelands of the Australian state of New South Wales, approximately south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Canberra. It was proclaimed as Australia's first inland city through letters pate ...

and Campaspe Rivers. They lived to the north of, and were closely associated with, the

Woiwurrung The Woiwurrung, also spelt Woi Wurrung, Woiwurrong, Woiworung, Wuywurung, are an Aboriginal Australian people of the Woiwurrung language group, in the Kulin alliance. The Woiwurrung people's territory in Central Victoria extended from north o ...

speaking

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. They were also known by white settlers as the ''Devil's River Tribe'' or ''Goulburn River Tribe''.

Clan structure

The Taungurung have two moieties (kinship groups) covering nine distinct clans, each of which belonged to the

Bunjil Bunjil, also spelt Bundjil, is a creator deity, culture hero and ancestral being, often depicted as a wedge-tailed eagle in Australian Aboriginal mythology of some of the Aboriginal peoples of Victoria. Creation stories In the Kulin nation ...

( Eaglehawk) moiety (five clans) or the Waang (

Crow A crow is a bird of the genus '' Corvus'', or more broadly a synonym for all of ''Corvus''. Crows are generally black in colour. The word "crow" is used as part of the common name of many species. The related term "raven" is not pinned scientifica ...

) moiety (four clans). Bunjil moiety * ''Buthera balug'', located in the Upper Goulburn area near Yea and

Seymour Seymour may refer to: Places Australia * Seymour, Victoria, a township * Electoral district of Seymour, a former electoral district in Victoria * Rural City of Seymour, a former local government area in Victoria * Seymour, Tasmania, a localit ...

. * ''Moomoom Gundidj'', around the Campaspe and north-west of Mitchellstown * ''Warring-illum balug'' around the Upper Goulburn River, Yea and

Alexandra Alexandra () is the feminine form of the given name Alexander (, ). Etymologically, the name is a compound of the Greek verb (; meaning 'to defend') and (; GEN , ; meaning 'man'). Thus it may be roughly translated as "defender of man" or "p ...

. * ''Yarran Illam'', in the area of the Goulburn river below Seymour. * ''Yeerun-Illam'' around

Benalla Benalla is a small city located on the Broken River gateway to the High Country north-eastern region of Victoria, Australia, about north east of the state capital Melbourne. At the the population was 10,822. It is the administrative cent ...

. Waang moiety * ''Look (w)illam'' around the

Campaspe River The Campaspe River, an inland intermittent river of the northcentral catchment, part of the Murray-Darling basin, is located in the lower Riverina bioregion and Central Highlands and Wimmera regions of the Australian state of Victoria. The h ...

near Kilmore * ''Nattarak balug'' associated with the Coliban and Upper Campaspe Rivers. * ''Nira balug'' adjacent to Wurundjeri country, encompassing hilly terrain near Kilmore, Broadford,

Pyalong Pyalong is a town in central Victoria, Australia. The town is located on the Northern Highway, in the Shire of Mitchell local government area, from the state capital, Melbourne. At the , Pyalong had a population of 459. In 2016 the populatio ...

, Mount Macedon and Heathcote. * ''Yowung-Illam balug'', associated with Alexandra, Mansfield and the Upper Goulburn River.

History

The Taungurung people used the King and Howqua River valleys as a major route for trade or war between tribes. The Howqua River valley contains a number of archaeological sites of significance including at least two quarry sites for greenstone, an exceptionally hard rock used for stone axes, spears and other cutting tools which the Taungurung traded with other tribes. There are many other significant cultural both tangible and in tangible across their country. A raiding party of up to 40 Taungurung is believed to have been killed in May–June 1839 on

Dja Dja Wurrung Dja Dja Wurrung (Pronounced Ja-Ja-war-rung), also known as the Djaara or Jajowrong people and Loddon River tribe, are an Aboriginal Australian people who are the Traditional owners of lands including the watersheds of the Loddon and Avoca riv ...

territory at the Campaspe Plains massacre. In February 1859 some

elders, led by

Simon Wonga Simon Wonga (1824–1874), ngurungaeta and son of Billibellary, was an elder of the Wurundjeri people, who lived in the Melbourne area of Australia before European settlement. He was resolute that his people would survive the "onslaught" of w ...

(aged 35) and brother Tommy Munnering (aged 24) petitioned Protector William Thomas to secure land on behalf of the Taungurung clans for the Kulin at the junction of the

Acheron The Acheron (; grc, Ἀχέρων ''Acheron'' or Ἀχερούσιος ''Acherousios''; ell, Αχέροντας ''Acherontas'') is a river located in the Epirus region of northwest Greece. It is long, and its drainage area is . Its source is ...

and Goulburn rivers in Taungurung territory. Initial representations to the Victorian Government were positive, however the intervention of the most powerful squatter in Victoria,

Hugh Glass Hugh Glass ( 1783 – 1833) was an American frontiersman, fur trapper, trader, hunter and explorer. He is best known for his story of survival and forgiveness after being left for dead by companions when he was mauled by a grizzly bear. No reco ...

, resulted in their removal to a colder site, Mohican Station, which was not suitable for agricultural land and had to be abandoned. In March 1863 after three years of upheaval, the surviving leaders, among them Simon Wonga and

William Barak William Barak, named Beruk by his parents, (1823 – 15 August 1903), the "last chief of the Yarra Yarra tribe", was the last traditional ngurungaeta (elder) of the Wurundjeri-willam clan, the pre-colonial inhabitants of present-day Melbourne, ...

, led forty ''Wurundjeri'', ''Taungurung'' (Goulburn River) and '' Boonwurrung'' people over the

Black Spur The Black Spur is a road between the towns of Healesville and Narbethong in Victoria, Australia. It is also known as Black Spur Drive and is part of the Maroondah Highway. Location The Black Spur is located about 60 kilometers North-East ...

and squatted on a traditional camping site on Badger Creek near Healesville and requested ownership of the site. This became

Coranderrk Coranderrk was an Aboriginal reserve run by the Victorian government between 1863 and 1924, located around north-east of Melbourne. The residents were mainly of the Woiwurrung, Bunurong and Taungurong peoples, and the first inhabitants chos ...

Station. The Taungurung Clans Aboriginal Corporation was registered as a

Registered Aboriginal Party A Registered Aboriginal Party (RAP) is a recognised representative body of an Aboriginal Australian people per the '' Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006'' (Vic.), whose function is to protect and manage the Aboriginal cultural heritage in the state ...

by the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council on 16 July 2009.

Notes

Citations

Sources

* * * * * * * * *

External links

Taungurung Clans Aboriginal Corporation website

Bibliography of Taungurong people and language resources
at the

Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies The Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS), established as the Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies (AIAS) in 1964, is an independent Australian Government statutory authority. It is a collecting, ...

{{Authority control Aboriginal peoples of Victoria (Australia) History of Victoria (Australia) Kulin nation