Bakanambia facts for kids
The Bakanambia people, also known as the Wanbara, are an Aboriginal group from Australia. For a long time, the Bakanambia lived near Princess Charlotte Bay in the state of Queensland. Sometimes, they were also called Lama Lama, a name now used for several groups of Aboriginal people in that area.
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Their Traditional Land
The Bakanambia's traditional lands covered the southern and eastern parts of Princess Charlotte Bay. Their territory stretched inland along the Normanby and north Kennedy rivers, reaching as far as the tide goes. It also included the area around Lakefield. The coastal areas were very swampy and covered with mangrove trees. Because of this, the Bakanambia mainly lived along the rivers. Their land was quite large, estimated to be about 1,100 square miles (2,850 square kilometers).
Their Language
The Bakanambia people spoke a language called Bakanambia. This language was part of the Lama group, which belongs to the larger Pama–Nyungan languages family found in north Queensland.
History of Contact with Europeans
The Bakanambia were one of the Aboriginal groups who had encounters with European explorers. For example, they met Edmund Kennedy's exploration party as it traveled through their land.
Early information about the language spoken around Princess Charlotte Bay came from a young boy. A local resident, W. O. Hodginson, wrote down some words from him. This boy, nicknamed Mal, was taken from his family by a European couple. He was then raised to work on a station, often helping with tasks like tracking animals. This was a practice that happened often in North Queensland during those times.
Other Names for the Bakanambia
The Bakanambia people were known by several different names, including:
- Wanbara
- Kokolamalama (a name given to them by tribes further south)
- Lamalama
- Lamul-lamul
- Kokaoalamalma
- Mukinna
- Banambia
- Banambila
Some Bakanambia Words
Here are a couple of words from the Bakanambia language:
- guarga (wild dog)
- parra (white man)
