Yilba facts for kids
The Yilba, also known as Ilba and Jilba, were an Aboriginal Australian people. They lived in what is now the state of Queensland, Australia.
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Where the Yilba People Lived
The Yilba people lived in a large area of land. According to Norman Tindale, a famous researcher, their traditional country covered about 19,170 square kilometres (7,400 sq mi). This area stretched from the Cape River in the east, all the way west to the Great Dividing Range.
To the north, their land was near Pentland Hills and Seventy Mile Range. In the east, it reached the Suttor River. Their southern border was around Lake Buchanan. The Yilba people also lived in places like the Campaspe River and the Natal Downs.
The Yilba Language
The language spoken by the Yilba people is called the Yilba language. Sadly, this language is now extinct. This means that no one has spoken it since before 1975. Experts believe the Yilba language was a dialect of the Biri language.
How Yilba Society Was Organized
The Yilba people lived in groups called kin groups or hordes. These were like smaller family groups within the larger Yilba community. We know the names of at least six of these groups:
- Yukkaburra
- Wokkulburra (meaning "eel people")
- Pegulloburra
- Mungooburra
- Mungullaburra (meaning "spinifex people")
- Goondoolooburra (meaning "emu people")
Another researcher, Norman Tindale, also mentioned some of these groups. He listed:
- Moothaburra
- Mungera
He also thought there might have been a fourth group called Muqkibara.
Other Names for the Yilba People
Over time, the Yilba people and their groups were known by several different names, including:
- Yukkaburra or Yuckaburra
- Munkeeburra
- Moothaburra (a group name)
- Mungera or Mungerra (a group name)
- Eneby (a language name)
- Pagulloburra or Pegulloburra (a group name)
