Milpulo facts for kids
The Milpulo were an Aboriginal group of people. They lived in New South Wales, Australia. Not much was written about them a long time ago.
Milpulo Lands
The Milpulo people lived on a large area of land. It was about 9,065 square kilometers (3,500 square miles). Their land was northwest of the Darling River. It stretched from Wilcannia down to Tandou Lake.
Milpulo Lifestyle
The Milpulo people mostly lived away from big rivers. They lived in dry areas with mallee and mulga trees. They found water by digging for tree roots. They only went to the river areas when there was a very bad drought.
Other Aboriginal groups to the south thought the Milpulo were fierce. They called them milipulun. This name meant they were seen as "strong outsiders" or "strangers."
Social Structure
The Milpulo people had a special way of organizing their society. It was based on a "class system." This system helped decide who could marry whom. It also showed a person's connection to different animals or plants, called "totems."
Here are the main classes and their totems:
| Class | Totem | |
|---|---|---|
| Mukwara | ||
| Bilyara | eagle-hawk | |
| Turlta | kangaroo | |
| Burkunia | bandicoot | |
| Uleburri | duck | |
| Karni | frilled-lizard | |
| Kilpara | ||
| Kulthi | emu | |
| Turru | carpet-snake | |
| Namba | bone-fish | |
| Birnal | iguana | |
| Bauanya | padi-melon | |
| Yerilpari | opossum | |
| Muringa | wallaby | |
Milpulo Stories
The Milpulo people had many important stories. Two of these stories are known today. One story explains how Lake Boolaboolka was created. This type of story is called an aetiological tale. It tells how something in nature came to be. The other story is about fights between different groups of people near a place called Albermarle.
Other Names for Milpulo
The Milpulo people were also known by these names:
- Milpulko
- Mailpurlgu
- Mamba
