Wurundjeri People Essay

The Wurundjeri People

The story of the Wurundjeri people from the Kulin Alliance is one of persistence and fighting against the odds, their story teaches us about to hardships that arrived with the British. The land of the Wurundjeri people is just above and is part of current day Melbourne, this land their home was taken from them by the settlers. The Wurundjeri people lived simple lives before the British arrived, they lived of the land in what was the ‘fertile bush’. Victoria was the most populated land in all of Australia, home to 36 different clans all with their own divided territories.

The name Wurundjeri comes from the words ‘wurun’ meaning ‘Manna Gum’ a tree found along the Yarra, and ‘djeri’ a grub found in the tree. Simon Wonga

Originally named Beruk Barak, he adopted the name William after joining the Native Police as a 19-year-old. Barak has leadership is his blood his father and his uncle were both Ngurungaetas and his uncle Billibellary became the Narrm Melbourne region's most senior elder. Following the death of Simon Wonga in 1875, Barak became the Ngurungaeta of the clan. He worked tirelessly for his people and was a successful negotiator on their behalf, he would often travel 60km to Melbourne on foot to talk with the protection board. He was highly respected as man and leader, with standing amongst the Indigenous people and the European settlers. Throughout the many hard years of European settlement, Barak emerged as a politically aware leader, skilled advocate and spokesman for his people and Aboriginal communities state wide. In mateship with his cousin Simon Wonga, the ngurunggaeta, Barak worked relentlessly to establish and defend Coranderrk station. Barak became a vital figure in the fight for Aboriginal rights and freedom. Coranderrk station, the name came from a tree that grew along the Yarra, was land claimed by Wonga and Barak next the Yarra where the Aboriginal community settled after hiding away in the bush, Barak was crucial to claiming this land from the protection board. The establishment of Coranderrk station lead to the development of other aboriginal stations across