Bark, Steve

Collard, Glenys

Thorne, Tim

Williams, Neville

English

Research Online @ ECU

Edith Cowan University Research Online ECU Publications Pre. 2011 1995 Kwobba-Keip Boya: The place of pretty water and rocks Glenys Collard Tim Thorne Neville Williams Steve Bark Follow this and additional works at: https://ro.ecu.edu.au/ecuworks  Part of the Australian Studies Commons, and the Other Languages, Societies, and Cultures Commons Collard, G., Thorne, T., Williams, N., & Bark, S. (1995). Kwobba-Keip Boya: The place of pretty water and rocks. Edith Cowan University. This Book is posted at Research Online. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/ecuworks/7066 Edith Cowan University   Copyright Warning      You may print or download ONE copy of this document for the purpose of your own research or study.  The University does not authorize you to copy, communicate or otherwise make available electronically to any other person any copyright material contained on this site.  You are reminded of the following:   Copyright owners are entitled to take legal action against persons who infringe their copyright.   A reproduction of material that is protected by copyright may be a copyright infringement. Where the reproduction of such material is done without attribution of authorship, with false attribution of authorship or the authorship is treated in a derogatory manner, this may be a breach of the author’s moral rights contained in Part IX of the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth).   Courts have the power to impose a wide range of civil and criminal sanctions for infringement of copyright, infringement of moral rights and other offences under the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). Higher penalties may apply, and higher damages may be awarded, for offences and infringements involving the conversion of material into digital or electronic form.T 994. 004991 5 COL AN Interpretation ofBunbury Environs, Western Australia • -~ (j j1 b ,--.•en"~ Collard Compiled y ui ~ ~ - -,~ ::£~:.~-~.-~.~ .  J·~-~ .. '::~/·':.::_·:·~~~ .. -@·'~~ ·~ .. :.::.::·s-~:?-:'~i:·~~~~;:.:~~·~ .. :~~:=~-: ·~~~~~~ ..-~. ·r --~ ~ ~ ..__.--___......... ~ ----......_/ ~ ~ ....--..__....) / . / ---....../ ~ I ----..._./ _/ / ...--..___/ J // ( f ·r ) ) ---..__../ ~ -----./ \ ~ ~ ~ -.__../ ...__.,- ~ ) ~ ( \_ ~ \,~ ~- --._./' ~ ~ '-......--.... "--------~ ~ ,......__---"----.... _______./ ~ ( _/ ~ -----.... '-------~ ___, '-----"' I I I I I I ~ tvtn t Sun trees they've moon land Everything a story always stars hills has a relating to the lores been 'ere milky-way wind People meaning every were set they're rivers rain event the rules still 'ere rocks everything laid down an' birds water has a story every will always animals ~oles happening be here \ (_ -- ·--_.·-'--------~............___ ______ ~-----====== ,. ---~. --....__-.-~-------·--~un~Ar Long time ago when we was little fullahs our fathers used to take us 'round all 'round this country our country when it started gettin' hot we'd start travellin' toward the sea we would start lookin' for food food that the sea bought in gatherin' fresh food for when we would meet up with other Nyungar families we'd share stories trade tools sing songs share dances an' have special ceremonies b(/Jf-when the cold winds started to blow we would start our travel back up towards the hills soon the rains would come we needed to hunt kangaroo an' possum to make rugs and cloaks from their skins we'd spend time at different places longer when the old fullahs did their business they would sing us songs tell us yarns 'round the fire an' tell us yarns 'bout our old fullahs 'bout the places they'd camp the country they'd walk they'd talk about the Waakal and how it keeps the water fresh so that we have plenty to drink they told us where we can walk where we can't what we can say what we can't what we can do and what we can't they told us why some birds sing and why some cry why some have colours an' others don't they taught us how to look after our land they'd show us our boundaries and told us never to cross over without permission they told us what would happen if we did they taught us to be proud they taught us to stand tall they taught us to look after our land and that our land would look after us . r-: ,, .. -; ,{ ~" . . .("'· ~utttUit - Swamp Hen The Wirlo is a messenger bird known also as the death bird when the wirlo comes to our camp he comes for a reason 'e might come to tell us that someone is very very sick or that someone dose to us or our family has died wirlo starts cryin' cryin' an cryin' makin' the hair on our neck stand up wirlo starts flappin his wings flappin' flappin' an flappin' he begins dancin' on one leg dandn' dancin' an' dandn' 'round 'round an 'round the edges of the fire flick flickin' 'an flickin' flickin' ashes into the air rockin' his head side to side side to side cryin' cryin' an' cryin' Vl'trtD -Curlew f<juP.tt - Robin .~utP.ttrAt - Magpie v,itttt i - Emu v,ilr(b - Curlew The crow an the magpie crow an' magpie after once were brothers left for the restin' several days they were always bush crow and magpie jealous of each other grumblin' told the old fullahs afraid one an growlin' of the savage was gettin' blamin' each other fight that they had more than the other as they in the they went bush quarrelled their families magpie told of how an' waited crow pushed fought waited him into the fire for years an' durin' the an' years waited fight finally for their an' burnt his they were return coat told to leave one mornin' this is why magpie the camps when the sun had just now has by the old fullahs begun to rise white markin's an' crow an' magpie crow and magpie to go came crawlin' could no longer deep into the into the main camp be brothers bush and sort out wounded they had to go their their differences an' separate ways once they had done bleedin' they this rugged still fight they could return an' very sick and to their families their families bicker where 'woke an' when they meet they would live ran to them or happily takin' them come close together into their huts together ~u('fr.~trAt - Magpie Djidi-Djidi vists our camp he's cheeky but he sits and watches an' daring whistlin' we know 'im waits . out to and we look out coming an' waits closer the little Nyungar kids for 'im waitin' an' callin' lookin' for the right time closer callin' listenin' the time to the camp an' an' watchin' when he can catch drawin' attention callin' watchin' us off guard to himself 'em further out for dancin' by an' our little an' dancin' whistlin' louder further fullahs 'round an' away from the main making sure they an' louder camp aren't lead •round whistlin' an' whistlin' away by whistlin' as he moves 'im ;;6 ;etl-;;6 ;eti - wmy wag rau Fire is an essential part of Nyungar life old fullahs used it for many things an' still do a fire must always bum and be kept humin' for many many reasons one reason was to keep evil spirits away also to talk to the dead fullahs through the fire askin' them for their help askin' for them to come an' fix them up when they're real real crook Nyungars would lay 'round the fire for three or four days crook an' believed that when they started getting better that it was from the fire the fire an' the dead fullahs they was like a doctor cured they would talk to the fire believing it cured them giving them the strength to go on an' on an' on ~flit r( - Fire ./ _______ // wnssod -11111111~ ·· ............. 15 uAi - Kangaroo Rat Goanna and Echidna like all birds an' animals are killed an' prepared in very special ways before being cooked an' eaten nnll we are taught these rules as we grow up we watch our Elders an' how they prepare 'em n If we don't follow the rules when preparing the foods then we can't eat it if we were to eat it we could become very very sick or even die rL~in~ltrn - Echidna ~/trAit - Goanna Waakal is the Nyungar creator it created the hills the birds animals an' rivers it also created the baby Waakals sometimes called carpet snake or fresh water snake it is believed that where there is fresh water there is a Waakal the Waakal has to keep that water fresh an' doesn't allow anything to spoil it like salt when a Waakal is killed or dies a fresh water-hole dries up Nyungars are taught at an early age to respect and look after the Waakal and that the Waakal will in return look after them there is no one Waakal there are many many Waakals all over Nyungar country keeping the water fresh fresh for us to drink ~ ---- - j .. __ ."""-.. j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j j ]Sut'JttrnuntJ - Breem 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1, }5tt(klt - Blackboy ~~:tper~~trk -cree Paper bark was used for many many things bark was stripped from the tree an' placed on the ground to lay on bark was also used for food food was placed on the bark then eaten also food was wrapped in paperbark so it could be carried in a bag -cne t~tck Black boy rushes were a main source for building mia mia's an' the rushes were laid on the ground for sleeping on rushes were also used for sweeping the ground 'round the camp the black boy stick was also used for lighting fires by rub bin' rub bin' •an rub bin' the sticks together rub bin' them until smoke appeared •an then a spark made a flame br ~ uAi - Kangaroo Rat ·'/' ]5 tt{k~t ~··· Blackboy The kangaroo is a very important animal an' is one that Nyungars used for many things they used the skin to make cloaks an' rugs all parts of the meat are specially prepared an' eaten sinews were used to bind together things like axe heads an' handles or used like a glue it's heated up and used to stick different parts of tools together sinews an' bone are also used to sew together cloaks an' rugs an' pouches they're also used for makin' carry bags for food or for carryin' children in Kangaroo hJ-1) kkrt - Cloak DECEMBER 1836 The numerous and well beaten paths near the bank of the estuary indicated the constant presence of considerable numbers [of people]. Indeed, nowhere had I hitherto seen, even on the Murray, where the natives are numerous, such distinct paths as here (p. 75) ... As the night advanced ... I went to sleep in full security, although aware that I was completely in the power of the natives if they wished to injure me, as our place of repose was clearly defined by the bright flaming fire of the Blackboy logs we had heaped up to conteract the effects of the fog rising with the night from the low wet swamp on our left, and the stinking mud and seaweed on the edge of the Estuary on our right (76-77). On the following morning ... we proceeded along the edge of the Estuary for some miles, partly along the sand which was here hard and firm, and partly along a Native path near the edge ..... As we advanced party after party of Natives joined us, hallooing, screeching, and receiving us with most boisterous symptoms of joy, much of which I would willingly have dispensed with, as every accession of numbers occasioned halt to explain who we were, where we came from, where we were going to, what we had in our bags et ctr et ctr. (78-79) .... Seldom during the day had I fewer than one hundred Blacks about me, and often nearer two hundred. (79) ... ... we came upon the Collie River which flows into the Estuary at a low flat point, in two branches of considerable depth and width, the only way of crossing which was by the bar formed at its mouth, where the bottom is of hard sand. .. .. A long and tiresome wade brought us to the little island in the centre of the river from whence we again struck out into the Estuary and passed to the left bank by the sandy bar.:. (p. 80) On the left bank of the Collie I found about 150 natives assembled to receive us, belonging to another tribe. These, in addition to about a dozen followers from the former party, all joined me and we advanced towards the Preston together. (p. 81) .... After following the edge of a bay for about a mile and a half, we turned into the Bush by a well beaten path a little to the left .. . We passed through a magnificent tract of land for about two miles, abounding with most luxuriant grass, growing under flooded Gums, Stinkwood and Broom, on a soil rather light in places but in others black and rick. I have as yet seen no place better calculated for a diary or arable farm than this, lying between two considerable rivers . . . Through this luxuriant meadow country we passed, coming several times upon the Preston which winds very much, nearly enclosing in its bends some large and rich alluvial flats. (p. 81) .... A little above this the path we were following through the rich low flats brought us to the Native crossing place ... About a mile higher up .... I found a crossing place ... I had to ascend, unloading the horses and making the Natives carry all the things over (p. 82). I halted for about an hour and a half on the left bank of the Preston, in a rich flat where my horses soon filled themselves with grass .... A large party of Natives collected round me during my halt and sat down in circles round the fires they had kindled, watching all my movements most carefully and making at the same time an overwhelming noise, talking and laughing most vehemently (p. 83). From: Early days in Western Australia: Being the letters and journal of Lieut. H. W. Bunbury, 21st Fusiliers. Edited by C. W. Bunbury & W. P. Morrell. (1930). London: Oxford Press. I / '/(!) c' lt)'o 1: 0~)· I IJ\6 111 1-o~ ~ L L. lo ~' -------------------~ ~ ~ ---------------------~-, .. ~ '-------· I ~ / ) j / j ) ) ) ) I / ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Steve Bark - Project Research Assistant Tim Thome - Nyungar Artist Neville Williams- Nyungar Artist © 1997 as Publishers Katijin Nyungar Advisory Committee ECU, Bunbury WA. Big Swamp Steering Sub-Committee City of Bunbury Australian National Conservation Agency School of Indigenous Australian Studies Edith Cowan University (ECU) Kurangkurl® Consultancy A special thankyou to all those Nyungar people who entrusted their support and commitment in the project. Also thanks to all the Wadjelas who have supported the project. Concept and Layout by Steve Bark and Glenys Collard Art - © 1995 Tim Thome Art - © 1995 Neville Williams Stories- ©1995 Glenys Collard 

Kwobba-Keip Boya: The place of pretty water and rocks

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Kwobba-Keip Boya: The place of pretty water and rocks

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