Thursday, 3 July 2025

Marriage and Culture

Have been reading Jacinta Price's autobiography (e.g. Chapter 7) and it appears the following published in 1934 and on the web site may still be relevant.

Kinship in Western Central Australia
Oceania Volume 4 Issue 4 June 1934
Henry Kenneth Fry
                                                                    1
"The information presented in this paper was obtained during a
visit of the Adelaide University Anthropological Expedition
to Mount Liebig, the western limit of the McDonnell Ranges, in
August, 1932. News of our coming had been sent out beforehand,
and about one hundred bush natives from the surrounding districts
came in and settled temporarily near the camp of the Expedition.
The majority of these people were members of the Ngalia tribe from
the sandhill country to the north-west, and of the Pintubi tribe from
the west and south-west. Some Jumu (Luritja) natives of the
locality and a few Aranda natives from Hermannsburg also were
represented."

Lists the following relationships :-
The following records of the actual circumstances of marriages were made.
I. Mintun-Mintun, Pintubi, Tararo Tjungarai.
   
    First wife, Maramintjini, Iparka. The mama, father, of
    Maramintjini, the nunari of Mintun-Mintun, told him to
    marry her, so he went and called her to his camp. She was
    a little girl about knee high. Mintun-Mintun's father
    called Maramintjini's father watjera.
    Second wife, Koreilja, Panaka Napurula. (A kameru
    marriage.) This girl was the daughter of Nalbilala,
    Purukulla, who told him to take her to his camp. She was
    a little girl like a small girl of four or five years of age who
    was pointed out. Mintun-Mintun called Nalbilala kameru,
    and his father called Nalbilala kandia, wife's brother.
    Nalbilala called Mintun-Mintun's father numpana, sister's
    husband.
    Third wife, Mulunga, Iparka. The sister of Maramintjini,
    by the same father. Ngunari, the girl's father, told him
    to take her. She was a little girl like the others.
    Fourth wife, Milbanga, Iparka. She was the daughter of the
    same father as his first and third wives. Milbanga called
    Mulunga kankoro. Mulunga called Milbanga malango.
    Fifth wife, Iparka. This woman was the widow of his deceased
    "elder brother," actually his father's elder brother's
    son. He stated that he looked after her and her children,
    but that she was not really a wife.

II  Nalbilala, Pintubi, Purukula Takamara.
    He had only one wife, Napaltari Purunga. When a young
    fellow, he was frightened of women and kept away from
    them. His nunari, Wallowaritji, Tararo Tungarai, told
    him to marry this woman, who was his daughter. Everyone
    told him to marry. His wife came and made a fire and a
    camp ready for him, along with his people. She was a
    young woman, he called her korei. Nalbilala's father
    called Wallowaritji watjera. Nalbilala called Wallowaritji
    nunari, and Wallowaritji called him kameru.

III Koijanu, Pintubi, Purukula Takamara.
    Only one wife, Purunga Napaltari. She was promised to him
    by his nunari, her father, when she was a baby. When
    she was about hip-high (? six years) he took her. When
    she was about breast-high (demonstrated), he began
    marital relations with her. This was before her breasts
    had come up. He used to sing to her to make her grow
    quickly. His nunari was Kateirelba, Tungarai. It was
    the custom to give kangaroo and euro to the nunari from
    the time that his daughter was promised. He still did this.
    When he was about breast-high (demonstrated), he used
    to play with the girls in the bush, only proper ones watjerawatjera.
    He would meet them by arrangement. He
    would give the girl euro or kangaroo meat.
    

Thursday, 17 October 2024

Orange Aboriginal Heritage Report 2012

The Orange Aboriginal Heritage Report dated 2012 is available here . Amongst other things the report has Blanket distributions from 1830 - 1841. The report seems especially relevant today.



Friday, 30 August 2024

Report of Board for Protection of Aborigines NSW 1924

Came across this whilst browsing reports of  the Board for Protection of Aborigines NSW.

Report of Board for Protection of Aborigines NSW, for the year ended 30th June 1924

EDUCATION.

Aborigines Schools are located at various centres throughout the State where the children receive an education, based on a special syllabus, which provides for an elementary training in the three Rs and in manual work. These Schools are reported upon by Inspectors attached to the Department of Education, and generally a satisfactory tone is maintained.

Particular care is taken that upon reaching fourteen years of age each child goes either to a training Home or to suitable employment. No one is allowed to remain in idleness on a Reserve, there to get into trouble and raise another generation of illegitimate children who would also become a burden on the State. The problem is thus gradually solving itself as the younger Aborigines are being educated to something higher and have no wish to return to the level of camp life, thus ensuring that in time the necessity for Aborigines Reserves will be a thing of the past.

Black Cladding

 A great new article by Ella Noah Bancroft titled "How black cladding impacts on grassroots communities" appears in the Koori Mail dated August 28, 2024. Well worth reading.

Friday, 17 May 2024

Supplementary Notice to the Wongkumara People (defined below) in Relation to Wongkumara People Native Title Claim Meeting

Supplementary Notice to the Wongkumara People (defined below) in Relation to Wongkumara People Native Title Claim Meeting.

See Koori Mail Website for full details.

Only members of the native title claim group will be entitled to participate in the meeting being those persons who fit within the following description proposed for the determination: 

The Wongkumara People are the descendants of ancestors who are recognised as having had a connection to the Determination Area in accordance with the laws and customs of the regional society described by Professor A P Elkin as “the Lakes Group”, and who are recognised and accepted by other Wongkumara People as being native title holders. 
Those ancestors include:

(a) Charlotte (mother of Jack, Queenie and May Hines, Rosie Jones and Willy Dutton);
(b) Siblings Polly (mother of Albert Ebsworth, Same and Tommy Burgamar) and Charlie Nockatunga;
(c) Maggie and Tommy (parents of Nellie Flash and Angelina);
(d) Kutji (mother of George Dutton);
(e) Tarella and her children Elizabeth and Harry (Fred) Hartnett;
(f) Norman Harding;
(g) Siblings Nellie (mother of Lucy Harding) and Judy (mother of Donald David Gillis);
(h) Jenny (mother of Alf Barlow); and
(i) Neddie and Nancy (grandparents of Jimmy Sedeek).

The Wongkumara People include persons who are adopted into the families of the Wongkumara People in accordance with traditional laws and customs, and who are recognised and accepted by other Wongkumara People as being native title holders.

Appeared in the Koori Mail dated May 27, 2024.

Notice - Mitakoodi and Mayi People #5 Native Title Claim Group Meeting

 Notice - Mitakoodi and Mayi People #5 Native Title Claim Group Meeting

The claim is in the Cloncurry and Julia Creek area. Full details are available online at the Koori Mail web site.

Mitakoodi and Mayi People #5 claim group members – being Aboriginal people who principally identify as Mitakoodi and Mayi People and as belonging to the traditional country of their Mitakoodi and Mayi forebears;  are recognised by other Mitakoodi and Mayi People as the biological descendants of deceased Mitakoodi and Mayi People; and are descendants of the following deceased Aboriginal People: 

Minnie; 
Thomas 'Tiger' Mitchell; 
Dinah; 
Topsy; 
Sophie; and 
Billy Chisholm

Appeared in the Koori Mail dated May 8, 2024.

Ngemba, Ngiyampaa, Wangaaypuwan and Wayilwan People Native Title Claim Group Meeting

NOTICE OF A NATIVE TITLE CLAIM GROUP AUTHORISATION MEETING FOR THE NGEMBA, NGIYAMPAA, WANGAAYPUWAN AND WAYILWAN PEOPLE NATIVE TITLE CLAIM GROUP (NSD 38/2019)

Full details are available online at the Koori Mail web site.

The meeting is open to all members of the native title claim group in the Ngemba, Ngiyampaa, Wangaaypuwan and Wayilwan native title determination
application (NSD38/2019) (referred to as the “NNWW Claim Group” or “NNWW People”, and “NNWW Claim” respectively), being those Aboriginal persons who are: 

(a) the descendants of the following apical ancestors:
1.  Caroline Hilt (who was born on the Barwon River around 1847);
2.  Thomas Sullivan (who was born in Brewarrina around 1860);
3.  Nellie Colless (who was born in Brewarrina around 1868);
4.  Billy Coleman (who was born in Cobar in 1840);
5.  Mary Ann Allen (who was born in 1844);
6.  Moses Biggs (who was born in 1837);
7.  Polly Parkes (who was born in 1846);
8.  Anne Brandy (who was born in Colane in 1874);
9.  Caroline Brandy (who was born on Duck Creek in 1869);
10. Wadna Boe (who was born in 1848)
11. Richard King (who was born in 1827);
12. Jimmy Keewong (who was born in 1849);
13. Kitty Narrangie;
14. Tom Dennis (who was born in Brewarrina in 1864);
15. Winnie Pierce (who was born in Brewarrina in 1878);
16. Jack Dennis (who was born on the Barwon River in around 1855);
17. Kate Baker (who was born in Boorooma in 1874);
18. Francis “Tracker” Williams (who was born in Gundabooka in 1883);
19. William Johnson (who was born in Big Willandra in 1876);
20. Henry Parkes (who was born in 1863);
21. Topsy Harris also known as Topsy Scotty (who was born in Marfield in 1866);
22. Jack Redtank; 
23. Thomas Williams also known as Thomas Broughton (who was born in Roto);
24. Maggie Redtank (who was born in Keewong in 1868);
25. Ada Arnott (who was born in Nyngan in 1865);
26. Moses Divine;
27. Jack Smith (who was born in Mossgiel in 1869);
28. Ellen Sprowl also known as Ellen McHughes (who was born in Brewarrina in 1867);
29. Fanny Hippi also known as Fanny Williams;
30. Millie Wells also known as Millie Shearer (who was born in Brewarrina in 1874);
31. Pluto Williams (who was born in Trida/Mossgiel in 1873);
32. Steve Shaw (who was born in Coronga Peak in 1855); 
33. Fanny Brown also known as Tiltagara Fanny (who was born in Hillston in 1862);
34. David Brown (who was born on the Macquarie River in 1850);
35. Janey Brown (who was born on the Macquarie River in 1853);
36. Betsy Gwen (who was born in Haddon Rigg near Warren in 1849);
37. Louise Hinton (who was born on the Macquarie River in 1843);
38. Cissy Lee (who was born in 1852);
39. Boorooma Murphy (who was born in Boorooma in 1832);
40. Harry Murphy (who was born in Brewarrina around 1871);
41. Thomas Nixon (who was born in Buttabone in 1843);
42. Colaine Lumpy (who was born in 1864);
43. Charlotte Wilson;
44. Tilly Riley (who was born in 1863); and
45. Geordie Murray (who was born in 1851 in Ivanhoe). 
46. George Murray, born at Gundabooka Station, died 1927 at Nyngan;
47. Amy Monica Murray nee Murphy, wife of George Murray, born in Brewarrina, died 1954 at Nyngan;
48. Edward Murphy, born in Cobar, died 1960 at Walgett;
49. Maggie Warraweena nee Murphy, born at Charlton Station on the Bogan River, died 1907 at Brewarrina;
50. Eliza Wilson nee Williams, also known as Eliza Governor, born near Cobar, died 1908 at Byrock;
51. Charlie Kelly, husband of Laura Kelly nee Murray, born 1858;
52. Laura Kelly nee Murray, also known as Norah Murray and Laura Boy, wife of Charlie Kelly, died 1918 at Corinya Station;
53. Jack Shepherd, also known as John Shepherd and Jack Sheppard, born 1855 in Cobar;
54. Harry Shepherd, also known as Harry Sheppard, died 1911 in Brewarrina;
55. Harry Brandy, brother of Caroline Brandy and Anne Brandy, born circa 1869;
56. Jack Simpson, also known as Jack ‘Smart Gui’ Simpson, died 1974 at Brewarrina; and
57. Billy Boney, also known as William Boney and George Boney, born 1852 in Ginghet.

and
(b) identify as a Ngemba, Ngiyampaa, Wangaaypuwan or Wayilwan person; and 
(c) are recognised as a Ngemba, Ngiyampaa, Wangaaypuwan or Wayilwan person by Ngemba, Ngiyampaa, Wangaaypuwan and Wayilwan People in accordance with their traditional law and custom. 

Appeared in the Koori Mail dated March 27, 2024.