Djilamatang facts for kids

The Djilamatang were an Aboriginal Australian group who lived in the state of Victoria, Australia. For a long time, people thought they were a separate group. However, a historian named Ian Clark has recently suggested that this might not be entirely true.

Who Were the Djilamatang?

Historian Norman Tindale believed the Djilamatang were a unique Aboriginal group. However, another expert, Alfred William Howitt, thought they might have been a smaller part of the Jaitmathang people. More recently, Ian Clark has looked at the old records and believes there isn't enough information to say for sure if they were a completely separate group.

Where Did the Djilamatang Live?

The Djilamatang people lived in a large area of about 1,500 square miles. This land was located west of Mount Kosciuszko and near the top parts of the Murray River in Victoria.

Sadly, it seems the Djilamatang people disappeared during a time of conflict between different Aboriginal groups. This happened in the Albury area after European settlers arrived. Their traditional rivals, the Jaitmathang, Walgalu, and Ngarigo peoples, formed an alliance. They worked together, which led to the Djilamatang no longer existing as a distinct group.

What Language Did They Speak?

The name "Djilamatang" comes from the word djere, which means "man."

Some historians, like Norman Tindale, believed the Djilamatang people were wiped out by other Aboriginal groups after Europeans came to Australia. He thought they lived in the northeast part of Victoria. Tindale recorded two words he believed were from the Djilamatang language: waananga (meaning "no") and djere (meaning "man").

However, another expert, Barry Blake, found that these words actually belong to the Pallanganmiddang language. Since there are no other records of the Djilamatang language, it's thought they might have spoken a language similar to Dhudhuroa.

How Did They Live?

The Djilamatang, like many other Aboriginal groups in their region, took part in special gatherings. When the Bogong moths became very plentiful, many different groups would come together. These included the Dhudhuroa, Jaitmathang, Ngarigo, Ngunawal, and Minjambuta peoples.

Before these gatherings, they would talk and settle any disagreements. Then, they would meet on certain lands to perform important ceremonies and trade goods. The main reason for these large meetings was to hunt the Bogong moths together.

These gatherings could be very big, sometimes with as many as 700 people! They were also a time for important cultural events, like bora ceremonial rituals and corroborees, which were used to initiate young men into adulthood.

Other Names for the Djilamatang

• Waananga (This was a word they used for "no")