Ngaku facts for kids
The Ngaku were an Aboriginal Australian group. They lived near the Macleay River in New South Wales. Most of the Ngaku people lived along the coast.
Their language was not written down, but it was thought to be like a special way of speaking or an accent of the Dhanggati language.
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Where the Ngaku Lived
The Ngaku people lived in an area of about 1,800 square miles (4,700 km²). Along the coast, their land stretched north from Point Plomer to Trial Bay.
It also covered the area south from the Macleay River to Rollands Plains. Their territory went north towards Macksville. It also reached inland near the Kemp Pinnacle Mountain. The Ngamba people lived to their south.
Ngaku History and Challenges
Not much is known about the Ngaku people. In 1929, a researcher named A. R. Radcliffe-Brown said that very few Ngaku people were left. Their descendants lived alongside people from the Ngamba group.
Another researcher, Norman Tindale, believed that a group called the Yarraharpny was part of the Ngaku people.
Facing New Settlers
In the 1800s, people from other countries began to settle in Australia. Some of these settlers were cutting down cedar trees in Ngaku lands. This led to difficult times and conflicts for the Ngaku people.
One account from 1851 describes a time when a government official, Mr. Sullivan, went to deal with the Yarraharpny group. This group was known for being strong and lived between the Macleay and Nambucca rivers. They had attacked some woodcutters, and one person had been killed.
The official and police went to the Ngaku camp. They scattered the people, and some were hurt. A baby was found hidden in a traditional shelter called a gunyah. What happened to the baby is not known.
This was one of several difficult events that happened to Aboriginal groups along the Macleay River. These events were recorded by people like Henderson and a local pioneer named Mary McMaugh.
Other Names for Ngaku
- Niungacko (This name refers to the language spoken by the group who once lived around Trial Bay).
