Maraura facts for kids

The Maraura people, also known as Marrawarra, are an Aboriginal group from Australia. Their traditional lands are found in the Far West area of New South Wales and parts of South Australia.

Language and Communication

The Maraura people spoke a dialect of the Paakantyi language. This was the southernmost dialect of Paakantyi. A list of words from their language was written down by John Bulmer.

Traditional Lands and Home

The Maraura people lived on about 2,200 square miles (5,700 square kilometers) of land. This area stretched west from Wentworth in New South Wales. It followed the northern side of the Murray River downstream to Chowilla and Ral Ral in South Australia. Inland, their country went west to the anabranch of the Darling River near Popilta Lake. It also extended upstream to Avoca.

Maraura Community Groups

The Maraura people were organized into different groups, sometimes called hordes. At least five of these groups are known:

• Condelkoo
• Boolkarlie
• Moattilkoo
• Bullalre
• Toopparlie

There was also a group known as the Nanya. Another sub-tribe, the Yakumku, lived around Lake Victoria.

Their society was also divided into two main family groups, called moieties. These were the Kilpara and the Makwara (or Makgara).

Stories and Art

The Maraura people had rich traditions of storytelling. When they told their myths, like the story of the hero Wa:ku who wanted to marry two sisters, they would often draw pictures on the ground. These drawings helped them remember and share the story.

This way of drawing stories might have helped pass on important knowledge to younger generations. It shows how rock art and ground drawings could be like memory aids, helping people learn and remember their history and legends.

Tindale recorded many of their legends, especially stories about the crow and the eagle. These were published in 1939.

A Glimpse into History

Some stories suggest that between 1831 and 1836, the Maraura people moved down the Darling River to the lands they lived on later. Early reports from 1842 mention that the Kaurna people of South Australia called this area Mettelittela Yerta, which meant "the stolen land" or "the land of thieves".

Sadly, there were conflicts with European explorers and overlanders. Many Maraura people were killed between 1839 and 1846. One tragic event was the Rufus River massacre, where the South Australian Police were also involved.

In 1857, it was noted that the Maraura people often visited Lake Victoria in summer. In winter, after rains, they would move to the back plains where small waterholes filled up.

Around 1863, two members of the Nanya group of the Maraura left their community near Wentworth by the Murray River. They went to live in the bush. About 30 years later, in the 1890s, they were found with their descendants, making a group of about 28 people. Soon after, they were encouraged to join "civilized" settlements.

Notable Maraura People

Nanya (1835-1895) was a significant Maraura man. He was one of the last Aboriginal people in New South Wales to live according to traditional ways. He led his family into the harsh "Scotia blocks" area, which was a dry land between the Great Darling Anabranch and the South Australian border.

Nanya and his group, which included 12 men, 8 women, and 10 children, managed to live there for three decades. In 1893, Aboriginal trackers convinced them to return. They chose to live in Pooncarie rather than a European settlement. Sadly, many of Nanya's children became sick and died from diseases they caught from white settlers. His son, Billy, who had studied in Adelaide, is recorded to have died while in custody.

Other Names for the Maraura People

The Maraura people have been known by several different names, including:

• Mareawura, Mare-aura, Maroura, Marowra, Marowera
• Marraa" Warree", Marrawarra
• Waimbio (meaning "man")
• Wimbaja, Wiimbaio
• Beriko (a language name)
• Ilaila (meaning "no")

Some Maraura Words

Here are a few words from the Maraura language:

• kambia (father, used by males)
• ŋamaga (mother, used by males)
• kanau (eaglehawk, also a totem)
• namba (silver fish, also a totem)
• pudali (a star, also a totem)
• pil'ta (opossum, also a totem)
• pärndu (Murray cod, also a totem)
• thandoa (whiteman)