Giabal facts for kids
The Giabal people, also known as the Gomaingguru, were an Aboriginal Australian group. They lived in the southern part of Queensland, Australia.
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Where the Giabal Lived
The Giabal people lived on a large area of land. It was about 7,300 square kilometres (2,800 sq mi) in size. This land was located between the towns of Allora and Dalby in Queensland. Their territory stretched east near Gatton. To the west, it reached towards Millmerran. Some experts, like Stephen Wurm, believe the Giabal were part of the larger Baruŋgam group.
First Records of the Giabal
The first written information about the Giabal comes from William Ridley. He was a missionary, which means he traveled to teach about his religion. In 1855, Ridley went on a journey to meet different Aboriginal groups in southern Queensland.
Ridley's Journey and Discoveries
In October 1855, Ridley met a group of people at Yandilla. He wrote that they spoke a language called 'Paiamba'. Ridley's notes about this meeting were short. He wrote that he met about a dozen people at Yandilla. They spoke Paiamba, which was a language he mostly did not understand. He noted it had a few words similar to languages spoken by groups near Brisbane.
Other Names for the Giabal
The Giabal people were also known by a few other names:
- Gitabal. (This was likely a mistake in writing.)
- Gomaingguru. (This name means 'Men of the Condamine River'.)
- Paiamba. (This was the name of their language.)
