Bilinarra facts for kids
The Bilinarra people, also known as Bilingara or Bilinara, are an Aboriginal Australian group from the Northern Territory. They have a rich history and culture.
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Bilinarra Language
The Bilinarra language is part of the Pama-Nyungan language family. It is similar to Gurindji and the language spoken by the Ngarinman people. Even though these languages share many words, speakers consider them to be different.
In the past, a police officer named W. H. Willshire first wrote down some Bilinarra words in 1896. By 2013, very few people spoke Bilinarra as their main language. However, it still influences the Kriol spoken by Bilinarra children today.
The Bilinarra language comes from the Victoria River District in the Northern Territory. The name "Bilinarra" likely comes from the word bili, which means 'rock' or 'hill'. Over time, the language became endangered. This happened because of conflicts with early settlers, tough conditions on cattle stations, and the mixing of languages.
Bilinarra Country
The traditional land of the Bilinarra people covered about 19,425 square kilometers (7,500 square miles). This area included the Moray Range, Delamere, and parts of Victoria River Downs. It also stretched down to the junction of the Victoria and Armstrong rivers. Their land was known for its blacksoil plains, limestone gorges, and sandstone rocks.
The Bilinarra people lived near other Aboriginal groups. The Mudburra were to their east, the Gurindji people to the southwest, and the Ngarinman to the northwest. Today, most Bilinarra people live at Pigeon Hole, which they call Balarrgi.
Cultural Practices and Beliefs
The Bilinarra people had unique cultural practices. For example, they made a special gum to attach flax to dancers' bodies during corroborees (traditional ceremonies). They would collect a substance for this gum in a traditional way.
They also used plants for medicine. They used lemon grass (gubuwubu) and Dodonaea polyzyga (yirrigaji) to make drinks or lotions. These were mixed with termite mound earth (mardumardu) to help with things like congestion.
The Bilinarra believed that children's spirits exist before birth. They thought these spirits stayed near a special rock formation called Gurdurdularni. They also believed that the spirits of people who had passed away could be reborn into a pregnant woman's baby. Pregnant women followed certain food rules. For example, they avoided turtle (gurwarlambara) meat. They believed eating it might make the child walk like a turtle.
History of Contact
Europeans first explored the Victoria Downs area in 1839 with John Lort Stokes. Later, in 1855-1856, Francis Gregory and his brother surveyed the land. They thought it would be good for cattle farming. In 1883, Charles Fisher and Maurice Lyons set up the Victoria River Downs Station. This station was on land that belonged to the Bilinarra and Karrangpurru peoples.
The Bilinarra people faced many challenges when their land was taken for cattle stations. They experienced difficult conflicts and unfair treatment. Like other groups in the area, they suffered from new diseases and had their land cleared. They were also made to work on the new cattle stations, often without fair pay. Their population quickly decreased during this time.
Bilinarra oral history tells of tough times during this early period. Some stories describe violent events and how people were harmed. Survivors sometimes moved to Ngarinman territory, where they faced more challenges.
Around 1922, a young Bilinarra man known as "Banjo" was involved in a conflict at Billiluna station. This event led to further violence and a pursuit across the land.
In 1967, Bilinarra people joined Gurindji and other workers in the Wave Hill walk-off. This was a major protest against the poor working conditions on the cattle station. It was an important moment in Aboriginal rights history.
Alternative names
- Bilinara
- Bilinurra
- Billianera
- Bilyanarra
- Bilyanurra
- Boonarra
- Bringara
- Bulinara
- Pillenurra
- Plinara
Some words
- girrawa. (goanna)
- jamud. (bush turkey)
- jiya (kangaroo)
- yinarrwa. (barramundi)
See also
- Ngumpit, a name used by the Gurindji, Malngin, Bilinara, Mudburra and Ngarinyman peoples to refer to themselves as a group
