Biyaygiri facts for kids

The Biyaygiri people, also known as Bandjin, were an Aboriginal Australian group who lived in northern Queensland. They were the traditional owners of Hinchinbrook Island and some areas on the mainland near Lucinda Point.

Biyaygiri Language

The Biyaygiri people spoke a language called Biyay. This language was a special type, or dialect, of the Warrgamay language. The last known speaker of Biyay was an elder named Nora Boyd. She shared her knowledge with a language expert, Robert M. W. Dixon, helping him learn more about the language before she passed away at 95 years old.

Traditional Lands

The Biyaygiri's homeland included all of Hinchinbrook Island. They also had a small part of the mainland, especially around Lucinda Point. An expert named Norman Tindale estimated their lands covered about 5,180 square kilometers (2,000 square miles).

Community Life and Trade

The Biyaygiri people living on Hinchinbrook Island had a special way of organizing marriages, using a system with four main groups:

• Koorkeela
• Kookooroo
• Woongo
• Wooitcheroo

The Biyaygiri were also important traders. They collected and crafted beautiful items like Nautilus necklaces and large Melo shells. These items were highly valued and traded with other Aboriginal groups on the mainland. In fact, these special shells and necklaces became known by one of the Biyaygiri's names, bandjin, among the mainland tribes.

Early European Contact

European settlers first arrived on Hinchinbrook Island around 1863. A few years later, in the early 1870s, the Biyaygiri people faced very difficult times.

In 1870, a Reverend E. Fuller tried to start a mission on the island. He hoped to offer protection to the Biyaygiri, but he only stayed for five months, and the Biyaygiri kept their distance.

Sadly, in 1872, a group led by Sub-Inspector Robert Johnstone, along with police and troopers, surrounded many Biyaygiri people on a headland. Many lives were lost during this event, and some who tried to escape by swimming were also harmed.

Newspaper reports from that time tell a slightly different story. They suggest that Reverend Fuller's mission attempt was actually in 1874, after these difficult events had already happened. According to these reports, the Biyaygiri population had already been greatly reduced before Fuller arrived. He spent three weeks searching the island but could not find any Aboriginal people there.

Other Names for Biyaygiri

The Biyaygiri people were also known by several other names, including:

• Bandji (though this is considered incorrect)
• Bandyin, Banjin
• Biaigiri
• Bijai (used for their language)
• Bundjin
• Kunyin
• Uradig

Some Biyaygiri Words

Here are a few words from the Biyaygiri language:

• kooin. (white man)
• tonga. (father)
• wooyou. (tame dog)
• yappo. (mother)