Wambaya people facts for kids
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 88 (2006 Census) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 Australia ( Northern Territory) |
The Wambaya people are an Aboriginal Australian group from the southern Barkly Tableland in the Northern Territory of Australia. You might also see their name spelled as Umbaia or Wombaia. They speak the Wambaya language. Today, much of their traditional land is used for large cattle stations.
Contents
Where the Wambaya People Lived
The Wambaya people traditionally lived in the southern part of the Barkly Tableland. Experts like Norman Tindale estimated their lands covered about 8,100 square miles. Their land stretched from Eva Downs in the west to Mount Morgan in the east. To the south, their territory reached Alroy Downs.
They lived near important places like Anthony Lagoon, Corella Lake, Brunette Downs, and Alexandria. They also lived around the Brunette and Creswell Creeks. Their neighbors included the Ngarnka to the north, the Waanyi to the east, and the Wakaya and Warumungu to the south. The Warlmanpa lived further west.
How Wambaya Society Was Organized
Robert Hamilton Mathews was one of the first people to study how the Wambaya people organized their marriages. He described a special system with eight different groups that helped decide who could marry whom.
For the Wambaya, their language and the land they lived on are closely linked to their identity. As linguists Harold Koch and Rachel Nordlinger explained, following an idea from Nicholas Evans:
- In many creation stories, ancestors traveled across the land.
- As they traveled, they gave different languages to different areas.
- This means people are connected to a specific piece of land.
- Through this connection, they are also linked to the language of that place.
- So, the Wambaya people are Wambaya because they are connected to places where the Wambaya language is spoken.
The explorer David Lindsay visited the Wambaya people. He noted that they, and other groups in the tableland area, were often tall and well-built. Many were 6 feet or even taller.
The Wambaya Language
The Wambaya language is part of the Mirndi family of languages. It is different from the larger Pama-Nyungan language family found in Australia.
A linguist named Emily M. Bender studied the Wambaya language. She found that it has a very unusual word order. She called it a "radically non-configurational language." This means that the order of words is very flexible. She used Wambaya to help explain a special grammar system called the LinGO Grammar Matrix.
Wambaya People and European Settlers
When the first European settlers arrived in Wambaya lands, they were impressed by the rich grasslands. The vast plains of Mitchell grass, along with lagoons, streams, and springs, seemed perfect for grazing animals. Large herds of cattle were brought in to feed on the tableland. This meant less food for native animals like kangaroos, emus, and bustards, which the Wambaya people traditionally hunted.
Over time, many Wambaya people started working in the cattle industry. However, they were paid much less than white stockmen for the same work. Even in the 1960s, they might only earn $6 a week, while white workers earned $46.
Eventually, a ruling by the Commonwealth Conciliation and Arbitration Commission said that everyone should get Equal pay for equal work. After this, many station owners fired their Aboriginal employees. This meant many Wambaya people who had worked in the cattle industry lost their jobs and had to leave their homes.
At one point, the managers of the Brunette Downs Station tried to move the Wambaya people from their camp near a lagoon. They wanted to force them to move about 60 miles north to Corella Creek.
Other Names for Wambaya
- Umbaia
- Umbia
- Wambaja
- Wampaja (This name was used by the Iliaura people)
- Wom-by-a, Wombya
- Wombaia, Wonbaia
- Yumpia
