Wudjari facts for kids
The Wudjari were an Aboriginal Australian group of people. They were part of the larger Noongar cultural group. They lived in the southern part of Western Australia, in an area known as the Great Southern region.
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Wudjari Lands and Home
The Wudjari people lived on a large area of land. Their traditional lands covered about 6,900 square miles (18,000 km2). This area stretched along the southern coast. It went from the Gairdner River in the west all the way to Point Malcolm in the east. Their land also reached about 30 miles (about 48 kilometers) inland from the coast.
Today, several towns and places are located on what used to be Wudjari lands. These include Kent, Ravensthorpe, Fanny Cove, Esperance, and Cape Arid.
Early Wudjari History
The Wudjari people were divided into different groups, or "bands." These bands were generally split into western and eastern parts. When the first European explorers arrived, they noticed that the western groups were moving. They were shifting their homes towards Bremer Bay. The Wudjari groups living east of Fanny Cove and the Young River were known by other names, like Bardonjunga or Bardok.
An Old Story: The William Jackman Tale
In 1855, a story was published about a shipwrecked sailor named William Jackman. He claimed to have been held captive for 18 months by Aboriginal groups in Australia. The story was very popular and seemed exciting to many people. However, some people have always wondered if the story was true.
In 2002, a historian named Martin Gibbs looked closely at the book and the history of that time. He found that some parts of the story seemed to match what was known about the Noongar cultural group. He thought that parts of Jackman's story might have come from real experiences with the Wudjari, Nyunga, or Ngadjunmaia people.
Other Names for Wudjari
The Wudjari people were known by several different names. Sometimes, these names came from other Aboriginal groups.
- Daran (This name was used by people from Perth. It meant "eastern tribes" who saw the sun rise from the sea.)
- Karkar (This name meant "east" and was used by the Wiiman people.)
- Kwaitjman (Used by northern tribes.)
- Ngokgurring
- Ngokwurring
- Njungar, Nyungar
- Njungura (This was a name given by a Mimeng person.)
- Nonga.
- Nunga
- Warangu
- Widjara
- Wuda
- Wudja
- Wudjarima
- Yunga/Yungar (This was the name of the Bremer Bay tribe, where some Wudjari groups moved.)
Some Wudjari Words
Here are a few words from the Wudjari language:
- kooning. (baby)
- kun. (mother)
- mann. (father)
- mookine. (wild dog)
- twart (tame dog)
