Wulwulam facts for kids

The Wulwulam people, also called the Woolwonga, were an Aboriginal Australian group from the Northern Territory. They were a strong community but faced great challenges in the 1880s. This happened after some members of their group were involved in an incident where four miners were killed.

Wulwulam Lands: Where They Lived

The Wulwulam people lived on a large area of land, about 4,900 square kilometers (1,900 square miles). Their country stretched from the top of the Mary River west towards Pine Creek. It also went south almost to Katherine. To the east, their land reached the source of the South Alligator River. They were also known to live around the Mount Bundy area.

The Wulwulam People

According to a researcher named Norman Tindale, a Norwegian explorer, Knut Dahl, wrote about the Wulwulam. He called them the Agigondin, who were a group from the central tableland. He also mentioned a smaller group, or horde, called the Agoguila. These names likely referred to different parts or groups within the Wulwulam community.

Wulwulam History: Early Encounters

As European settlers arrived, the numbers of two Aboriginal groups to the south and west of the Wulwulam, the Agikwala and Awarai, became much smaller. Because of this, some people from these groups joined the Wulwulam. They became part of the Wulwulam community, strengthening it.

Wulwulam History: Challenges and Changes

In 1882, copper was found near Mount Haywood. This led to a new settlement being built on the Wulwulam's traditional lands along the Daly River. Some Wulwulam people came to this settlement and worked there.

However, in September 1884, an event occurred where four European settlers were killed. This led to a series of violent actions against the Wulwulam people. These events, sometimes called the Coppermine massacres, continued for several years. They greatly weakened the Wulwulam, who had been a very powerful group in the Daly River area. The Mulluk-Mulluk tribe was also affected by these events.

Four Wulwulam men, named Tommy, Jimmy, Daly, and Ajibbingwagne, faced charges related to the deaths of the four settlers. These settlers were Johannes Lubrecht Noltenius, Jack Landers (also known as Hellfire Jack), Henry Houschildt, and Schollert. Records from a Jesuit mission show that actions against the Wulwulam continued even four years later, in 1888.

One of the Aboriginal men charged, Charlie Yingi (known as Long Legged Charlie), was later cleared of the charges. He then settled at the Jesuit Mission on the Daly River. However, he later faced serious charges again for the Coppermine incident.

In 2014, a document was found that showed a child of Wulwulam/Woolwonga parents was recorded in a census from 1889. Because of this discovery, the child's descendants began to claim native title rights to the traditional Wulwulam hunting grounds. This means they sought to have their traditional ownership of the land recognized.

Other Names for Wulwulam

The Wulwulam people were known by several other names, including:

• Agigondin (sometimes used for an eastern group)
• Agikwala, Agiqwolla, Agoguila, Aquguila
• Agiwallem
• Agrikondi, Aggraakúndi
• Oolwunga Oolawunga
• Wolwongga, Wulwanga, Wolwanga, Wulwonga, Woolwonga