Woppaburra People Native Title Meeting

Woppaburra People Native Title Meeting

The claim area is centred on Great Keppel Island and North Keppel Island off the coast of Central Queensland.

The apical ancestors are described as

1. Yulowa 'Weerobilling'
2. Nellie 'Ooroong-ooran'
3. Oyster Maggie
4. Franny Lohse (mother of Fred Ross)

The definitive study of the Woppaburra people that has been published to date is by Michael Rowland and published in the Journal of Australian Studies no 81, Richard Nile (ed.), St Lucia, API Network and UQP, 2004 and available here.
He produces lists of Woppaburra people as below

(A) Photograph of a group of Woppaburra near the Lucas Homestead. Probably taken by Walter Roth in 1898. The teenage girl in the centre is Konomie, immediately behind her is Fred (Mogga), and behind him Yoolowa. Konomie Richards died in Acacia Ridge, Brisbane in 1973 aged ninety years. Konomie's daughter Ethel Richards (the most senior elder) still lives in Brisbane. Konomie Richards has many other descendants throughout Queensland

I have been shown a copy of the original photograph described above and on the reverse of the photo are the following words -
 "Mt. Morgan mine, 25 miles from Rockhampton, at end of stable on .... land"
 It would seem that  the people shown are not Woppaburra.
(Paul Mackett May 25, 2014)

(B) Report By Acting Sergeant Casey on the Number of Keppel Islanders, 7 February 1900 (NB: Kitty and Judy were in the Lock Hospital).

Aboriginal Male Adults

Uloro
Paddy

Aboriginal Female Adults

Old Woman
Mary Ann
Nellie
Annie
Lillie
Oyster Maggie
Kitty
Judy

Pure-blooded Female Children and ages

May (2yr 9mths)

Pure Blooded Male Children

Nil

Half-caste Male Children and ages

Abbot (12yr)
Fred (8yr)

Half-caste Female Children and ages

Canoma (12yr )
Lulo (8yr)
Jessie Anne (8yr)
Rosie (1 yr)

(C) Keppel Islanders removed from South Keppel Island in 1902.

Known As                                     Woppaburra Name                                                            Age

Paddy                  Woo-oon-yan full blood                21 years
Ulowa                  Weerobilling (father of Paddy)        65 years
Annar-mannam           (Mother of Paddy)                     65 years
Kitty                  Ooroong-oorann full -blood            24 years
Mary Ann               Yamal-Minyan full -blood              25 years
Nelly                  Ooroong-oorann No 2 full -blood       28 years
Judy                   Gac-Kiyar full -blood                 40 years
Annie                  Oo-cooran full -blood                 30 years
Sally                                                        27 years
Conomie                Boombilwan half -caste girl           17 years
Rowley                 Bonee manamm half -caste girl         10 years
Albert                 Mumkwarran half -caste boy            14 years
Fred                   Okyabinnie half -caste boy            8 years 
                       Half-caste girl                       9 years 
                       Half-caste boy                        2 ½ years
                       Half-caste baby girl                  4 months                       

Durundur Correspondence dated 30. 6.1903 lists the following from Keppel Island

        Albert , Native Name Monquarran , male aged 16y
        Native of Keppel Is - Class Goobooroo
  
        Lourie , Native Name not given, male aged 61y
        Native of Keppel Is - Class Goobooroo 

        Paddy , Native Name not given, male aged 25y
        Native of Keppel Island - Class Goobooroo
 
        Freddy , Native Name not given, male aged 12y
        Native of Keppel Island - Class Woongoo
    
        Old Woman , Native Name not given, female aged 63y
        Native of Keppel Is - Class Bunburri      

        Mary Ann , Native Name not given, female aged 27y
        Native of Keppel Is - Class Bunburri      

        Annie , Native Name Alkirran , female aged 32y
        Native of Keppel Is - Class Bunburri  

        Nellie , Native Name not given, female aged 34y
        Native of Keppel Is - Class Bunburri  

        Conomie , Native Name Conomie , female aged 17y
        Native of Keppel Is - Class Woongoo 
  
        May , Native Name not given, female aged  5y
        Native of Keppel Is - Class Goobooroo     

        Annie Lucas , Native Name not given, female aged  1y
        Native of Keppel Is - Class Goobooroo     

        Lula , Native Name Lula , female aged 14y
        Native of Keppel Is - Class Woongoo       

The meeting notification appeared in the Courier Mail of July 27 - 28, 2013