Bungandidj people facts for kids

The Bungandidj people are an Aboriginal Australian group who have lived for thousands of years in the area around Mount Gambier in south-eastern South Australia, and also in western Victoria. Their traditional language is the Bungandidj language. Historically, their name was often written as Boandik, Buandig, or Booandik.

Discover the Bungandidj People

The Bungandidj people have a rich and ancient history, deeply connected to the lands and waters of their traditional country. Their name, Bung-an-ditj, means "people of the reeds," showing their special relationship with the natural environment.

A Rich History in Australia

Archaeological discoveries show that the Bungandidj and their neighbours, the Meintangk, have lived in this region for an incredible 30,000 years. Evidence of coastal living, like around Robe and Cape Banks, dates back at least 5,800 years. This long history shows how deeply rooted the Bungandidj people are to their ancestral lands.

First Encounters and New Arrivals

The first meetings between the Bungandidj people and Europeans happened in the early 1820s. An elder named Panchy shared a story with missionary Christina Smith about seeing ships at Rivoli Bay around 1822 or 1823. He described how his mother was taken aboard a ship for three months before she managed to escape.

In 1844, Governor George Grey led an expedition through the region. A painter named George French Angas, who was with them, noted many signs of Indigenous life. They saw old campsites with abandoned wurleys (shelters), piles of banksia cones used for sweet drinks, and clever traps in swamps to catch fish and birds. These observations showed how the Bungandidj people skillfully used their land for survival.

Facing Challenges and Changes

Starting in 1834, European settlers, like Edward Henty, began to arrive in the region with their sheep and cattle. This led to rapid changes across western Victoria and south-eastern South Australia. The arrival of settlers brought serious conflicts and difficult times for the Bungandidj people. There were clashes over resources, and sadly, many Indigenous people suffered from new diseases like smallpox, which spread from the north. There were also reports of settlers leaving poisoned food, which caused great fear and harm.

Settlers faced challenges too, with some even having to move their animals due to conflicts. Reports from the time show that Indigenous people were treated very poorly. There were instances of poisoned food and being denied access to water. Men were often threatened and driven away from their lands.

A very sad event occurred in 1848 at Avenue Range Station, where several Bungandidj people died. The person accused was not found guilty because Indigenous people were not allowed to give evidence in court at that time, which was a great injustice.

Life on the Stations and Reserves

As time went on, some settlers built homes designed for protection during these uncertain times. Over time, many Bungandidj people found ways to adapt, working on farms as station hands or shearers, while still living on parts of their traditional lands.

Bungandidj people often set up camps on the edges of towns like Kingston and even moved into cottages. They continued to move seasonally, gathering traditional foods and using their ancestral burial grounds. Some Bungandidj communities continued to live in places like the Blackford Reserve near Bordertown for many years, even into the 1970s.

Bungandidj Culture and Community

The Bungandidj people had a strong social structure. They were divided into two main groups for marriage, called Kumite and Kroke. Children belonged to their mother's group.

Understanding Family Groups and Totems

Within the Kumite group, there were five main animal totems:

• boorte moola: fishhawk
• boorte parangal: pelican
• boorte wa: crow
• boorte willer: black cockatoo
• boorte karato: (harmless) snake

The Kroke group had four main totems:

• boorte wirrmal: owl
• boorte wsereoo: teatree scrub
• boorte moorna: an edible root
• boorte kara-al: white crestless cockatoo

Each totem was connected to many animals, plants, and natural elements. These totemic items were seen as friends to everyone in that clan. There were rules about not eating species linked to their totem, unless it was absolutely necessary, and then with great respect.

The Bungandidj people living closer to the coast often followed a seasonal migration. They would set up fishing camps in the south during warmer months. When winter arrived, they would move inland to hunt and fish, away from the stormy coast. Their traditional homes, called wurlies, were made of mud and were known to be very comfortable.

Their Traditional Lands and Borders

According to Christina Smith's 1880 book, the Indigenous people of the South-East were divided into five tribes, each with its own territory and speaking slightly different versions of the same language. These tribes were Booandik, Pinejunga, Mootatunga, Wichintunga, and Polinjunga.

The Bungandidj were the largest clan. Their country stretched from the mouth of the Glenelg River to Rivoli Bay North (Beachport), reaching about 30 miles (48 km) inland. There is some discussion among historians about whether the Bungandidj or the Meintangk people occupied the land between Rivoli Bay and Cape Jaffa. The Bungandidj shared their borders with the Ngarrindjeri people to the west, the Bindjali and Jardwadjali to the north, and the Gunditjmara people to the east.

The Unique Bungandidj Language

The Bungandidj language is part of the larger Pama-Nyungan language family. It is also grouped with the Victorian Kulin languages. The Bungandidj people called their language Drualat-ngolonung (meaning "speech of man") or Booandik-ngolo (meaning "speech of the Bungandidj"). It had five known dialects: Bungandidj, Pinejunga, Mootatunga, Wichintunga, and Polinjunga. Researchers like Barry Blake have studied this important language.

Important Words from Bungandidj

Here are a few words from the Bungandidj language:

• drual: man
• barite: girl
• moorongal: boy
• ngat: mother
• kooraa: (male) kangaroo
• kal/karl: tame dog
• kar na chum: wild dog
• marm: father
• ngate: mother
• koomamir: white man

Bungandidj People Today

Today, many people in the region proudly identify as Bungandidj. Descendants of the Bungandidj and Meintangk people continue to keep their culture alive and strong through groups like the Kungari Aboriginal Cultural Association, based in Kingston SE.

Honoring Places with Dual Names

As of October 2022, many important landmarks around Mount Gambier have been given dual names, which include their traditional Bungandidj names. This helps to recognize and honor the Indigenous heritage of the land. For example, the town of Mount Gambier is now signposted as "Berrin / Mount Gambier," with Berrin being the name known to its Indigenous inhabitants.

Other dual-named places include:

• Blue Lake / Warwar, meaning "crow country," or "the sound of many crows"
• Leg of Mutton Lake / Yatton Loo (meaning unknown)
• Brownes Lake / Kroweratwari, meaning "emus, [or] their tracks"
• Valley Lake / Ketla Malpi, meaning "sacred talking tree"
• Umpherston Sinkhole / Balumbul, meaning "buttercup flower"
• Cave Garden / Thugi, meaning "bullfrogs"

Bungandidj Stories in Art

The stories and experiences of the Bungandidj people have also been shared through art. For example, Bob Maza's play The Keepers explored the challenges faced by the Buandig people when their lands were taken. This play was performed several times in 1988, including at the Adelaide Fringe Festival and in Sydney, and won the National Black Playwright Award.

Other Names for the Bungandidj People

Because of different early interactions and spellings, the Bungandidj people were known by several names: