Erawirung facts for kids

The Erawirung people, also known as Yirawirung or Jirawirung, were an Aboriginal Australian group. Their traditional home was in the area now called the Riverland in South Australia. They had smaller groups or clans within them, like the Jeraruk, Rankbirit, and Wilu. Sometimes, they were part of a larger group called the Meru people, which also included the Ngawait and Ngaiawang peoples.

Who were the Erawirung People?

The Erawirung were an important Aboriginal Australian group who lived in the Riverland region of South Australia. They were known by several names, including Yirawirung and Jirawirung. Their community was made up of different family groups or clans.

Their Language

The Erawirung people spoke a language that was a dialect of the Yuyu language. This language was also spoken by many of their neighbours. Sometimes, this group of languages is called the Meru language group. You can find it listed under this name on the AIATSIS Language Map, which shows where different Aboriginal languages were traditionally spoken.

Where They Lived

The traditional lands of the Erawirung covered about 1,300 square miles (3,400 km²). This area was mainly along the eastern side of the Murray River. It stretched from north of Paringa, past Loxton, and into the sandy areas about 24 kilometres (15 mi) south of the river. Their western boundary reached from Rufus Creek all the way to the area near the Overland Corner.

How They Lived

The Erawirung people were organised into different groups, sometimes called hordes or clans. Some of these known groups were:

• Jeraruk
• Rankbirit (whose special animal or totem was the eaglehawk)
• Wilu

Important Resources

An important part of the Erawirung economy was mining a type of rock called chert. They had two main chert mining sites: one at Springcart Gully and another south of Renmark. These areas were very important to them, and they strongly protected them from other nearby tribes.

Their History

Early researchers who studied different cultures, called ethnographers, often grouped the Erawirung with other small tribes under the name "Meru people." Over time, the memory of the Erawirung tribe faded. By the late 1930s and early 1940s, when researcher Ronald Murray Berndt spoke with the nearby Jarildekald people, they no longer remembered the Erawirung.

Other Names for the Erawirung

The Erawirung people were known by several different names, including:

• Eramwirrangu
• Erawiruck
• Jeraruk
• Yerraruck
• Yirau
• Pomp-malkie
• Meru (which means 'man' in their language)
• Juju (a name given by the Maraura people, where ju means 'no' in their language)
• Yuyu, You-you
• Rankbirit
• Wilu, Willoo