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

was the leader of the Wurundjeri people a role which he inherited, but he still had to earn the respect of his people. He was known as the ‘Ngurungaeta’ which means head-man a term of great respect to the Wurundjeri people. The Wurundjeri people were hunters and gathers, they went out looking for animals typically kangaroos and killed them as a source of food. They also fished and farmed the land of Port Phillip for around 40,000 years. 20000 to 30000 years ago the Wurundjeri people could walk down to Tasmania and sea levels were 150 metres lower, meaning there was more land for farming and homes. The Wurundjeri community had deep spiritual beliefs and connection with their elders and the land. They always believe that their deceased would always be with them in the form of spirits, animals and the landscape. The Wurundjeri clan was one of Victoria’s most thriving Aboriginal cultures, they lived with great spiritual connection to their land. Even though the challenges of European colonisation they never let go of their unique culture and heritage.

William Barak

William Barak was born into the Wurundjeri clan in 1823, in the area now known as Croydon, in Melbourne.

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

Victoria, these were treated as a haven for the first Australians.

Coranderrk station was allowing Aboriginal numbers to increase again with homes being built and safety from the white settlers. In his time a Coranderrk Barak recorded the culture of his people through storytelling and artwork. Barak gained a reputation as a talented artist, he created paintings, drawings and artefacts. He would often invite white settlers and officials to visit Coranderrk reserve, where he would share the stories of his people though his artwork. During his last two decades he started painting the ceremonial side of Wurundjeri culture and tradition.

During his time at Coranderrk Barak faced many personal struggles, following the death of his first wife Lizzi, he remarried a young Murray River woman named Annie and had a son called David. During Barak’s consistent fight to save Coranderrk both his wife became ill and died of tuberculosis. Shortly after his son also fell sick so Barak took him in his arms and carried him all the way to Melbourne where he wasn’t allowed to say in the hospital with his son. When he received word that his son had died he returned to Coranderrk destroyed and left his heart, soul and fight in Melbourne. The loss of his son and wife in such a short time devastated him, he continued to fight and protect Coranderrk until his death in 1903. Barak died at 80 years old, the king of the Yarra’s final resting spot at Coranderrk marked with a simple wooden cross. Barak a true Aboriginal legend.