Ngadjuri
Encyclopedia
The Ngadjuri people are a group of Indigenous Australians
whose traditional lands lie in the mid north
of South Australia
with a territory extending from Gawler
in the south to Orroroo in the north. As with other indigenous groups in South Australia, the Ngadjuri led nomadic lives and were decimated by introduced European diseases, beginning with the spread of smallpox
prior to European colonisation. Although the lands of the Ngadjuri were extensive their principal camping and burial grounds are believed to have been at Clare
, Auburn
, Macaw Creek and near Kapunda.
When Anglo
-European Caucasian
settlers first arrived in 1836 at Holdfast Bay
(now Glenelg
), the land was considered in the 1834 South Australia Act
passed by the British Parliament and by Governor Hindmarsh as Commander in chief in his Proclamation of 1836, to be a barren wasteland. In contrast to the rest of Australia, terra nullius
did not apply to the new province. The Letters Patent establishing the Province of South Australia
attached to the Act acknowledged Aboriginal ownership and stated that no actions could be undertaken that would affect the rights of any Aboriginal natives of the said province to the actual occupation and enjoyment in their own persons or in the persons of their descendants of any land therein now actually occupied or enjoyed by such natives. Under the act the native inhabitants were assumed to have become British subjects. Although the patent guaranteed land rights under force of law for the indigenous inhabitants it was ignored by the South Australian Company authorities and squatters. By the 1870s few of the Ngadjuri remained on their traditional lands and most of those left had become dependent upon the white population through land dispossession. Although there were some late attempts to arrest their decline, by the end of the nineteenth century the language group, as it had been, had ceased to exist.
practices with bodies sometimes smoked or dried before burial and many buried skeleton
s were uncovered during the construction of the Clare Railway line. Large groups of up to a hundred men would hold mass possum
hunts through the timbered hills. Although ceremonies were usually male-only private events, by the 1860’s they had begun to commercialise them with the dominate capitalist culture spectators accepted and donations solicited.
Other indigenous ethnic groups in South Australia:
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
whose traditional lands lie in the mid north
Mid North
The Mid North is a region of South Australia, north of the Adelaide Plains, but not as far north as the Far North, or outback. It is generally accepted to extend from Spencer Gulf east to the Barrier Highway, including the coastal plain, the southern part of the Flinders Ranges, and the northern...
of South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
with a territory extending from Gawler
Gawler, South Australia
Gawler is the first country town in the state of South Australia, and is named after the second Governor of the colony of South Australia, George Gawler. It is located north of the centre of the state capital, Adelaide, and is close to the major wine producing district of the Barossa Valley...
in the south to Orroroo in the north. As with other indigenous groups in South Australia, the Ngadjuri led nomadic lives and were decimated by introduced European diseases, beginning with the spread of smallpox
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
prior to European colonisation. Although the lands of the Ngadjuri were extensive their principal camping and burial grounds are believed to have been at Clare
Clare, South Australia
The town of Clare is located in South Australia in the Mid North region, 136 km north of Adelaide. It gives its name to the Clare Valley wine and tourist region.-History:One of the first settlers in the area was John Horrocks, in 1839...
, Auburn
Auburn, South Australia
Auburn is the name of a small town in the southern edge of the Clare Valley, in the Mid North of South Australia.-History:Often considered the Gateway to the Clare Valley, Auburn was originally settled by William Tateham, who lived in a dugout along the Wakefield River and was first named...
, Macaw Creek and near Kapunda.
When Anglo
Anglo
Anglo is a prefix indicating a relation to the Angles, England or the English people, as in the terms Anglo-Saxon, Anglo-American, Anglo-Celtic, Anglo-African and Anglo-Indian. It is often used alone, somewhat loosely, to refer to people of British Isles descent in The Americas, Australia and...
-European Caucasian
White people
White people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin...
settlers first arrived in 1836 at Holdfast Bay
Holdfast Bay
Holdfast Bay is a small bay in Gulf St Vincent, next to Adelaide, South Australia. Along its shores lie the City of Holdfast Bay and the popular beach-side suburb of Glenelg.-European settlement:...
(now Glenelg
Glenelg, South Australia
Glenelg is a popular beach-side suburb of the South Australian capital of Adelaide. Located on the shore of Holdfast Bay in Gulf St Vincent, it has become a popular tourist destination due to its beach and many attractions, home to several hotels and dozens of restaurants.Established in 1836, it is...
), the land was considered in the 1834 South Australia Act
South Australia Act 1834
The South Australia Colonisation Act 1834 is the short title of an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom with the long title...
passed by the British Parliament and by Governor Hindmarsh as Commander in chief in his Proclamation of 1836, to be a barren wasteland. In contrast to the rest of Australia, terra nullius
Terra nullius
Terra nullius is a Latin expression deriving from Roman law meaning "land belonging to no one" , which is used in international law to describe territory which has never been subject to the sovereignty of any state, or over which any prior sovereign has expressly or implicitly relinquished...
did not apply to the new province. The Letters Patent establishing the Province of South Australia
Letters Patent establishing the Province of South Australia
The Letters Patent establishing the Province of South Australia formally titled;was the document presented to the King to formally seek the approval to establish the province of South Australia. The Letters were dated 19 February 1836....
attached to the Act acknowledged Aboriginal ownership and stated that no actions could be undertaken that would affect the rights of any Aboriginal natives of the said province to the actual occupation and enjoyment in their own persons or in the persons of their descendants of any land therein now actually occupied or enjoyed by such natives. Under the act the native inhabitants were assumed to have become British subjects. Although the patent guaranteed land rights under force of law for the indigenous inhabitants it was ignored by the South Australian Company authorities and squatters. By the 1870s few of the Ngadjuri remained on their traditional lands and most of those left had become dependent upon the white population through land dispossession. Although there were some late attempts to arrest their decline, by the end of the nineteenth century the language group, as it had been, had ceased to exist.
People and culture
The Ngadjuri practiced formalised burialBurial
Burial is the act of placing a person or object into the ground. This is accomplished by excavating a pit or trench, placing an object in it, and covering it over.-History:...
practices with bodies sometimes smoked or dried before burial and many buried skeleton
Skeleton
The skeleton is the body part that forms the supporting structure of an organism. There are two different skeletal types: the exoskeleton, which is the stable outer shell of an organism, and the endoskeleton, which forms the support structure inside the body.In a figurative sense, skeleton can...
s were uncovered during the construction of the Clare Railway line. Large groups of up to a hundred men would hold mass possum
Possum
A possum is any of about 70 small to medium-sized arboreal marsupial species native to Australia, New Guinea, and Sulawesi .Possums are quadrupedal diprotodont marsupials with long tails...
hunts through the timbered hills. Although ceremonies were usually male-only private events, by the 1860’s they had begun to commercialise them with the dominate capitalist culture spectators accepted and donations solicited.
See also
- History of AdelaideHistory of AdelaideThis article details the History of Adelaide from the first human activity in the region to the 20th century. Adelaide is a planned city founded in 1836 and the capital of South Australia.-Aboriginal settlement:...
Other indigenous ethnic groups in South Australia:
- Adynyamathanha
- Arabunna
- Kaurna
- Kokatha
- MirningMirningThe Mirning people are a group of Indigenous Australians whose traditional lands lie in the coastal region of the Great Australian Bight in the south-west of South Australia and bordering Western Australia.-People and Culture:...
- NgarrindjeriNgarrindjeriThe Ngarrindjeri are a nation of eighteen "tribes" consisting of numerous family clans who speak similar dialects of the Ngarrindjeri language and are the traditional Aboriginal people of the lower Murray River, western Fleurieu Peninsula, and the Coorong of southern, central...
- NarunggaNarunggaThe Narungga are a group of Indigenous Australians whose traditional lands are located on Yorke Peninsula, South Australia. The boundary of their traditional lands runs roughly between the towns of Port Broughton and Port Wakefield....
- Pitjantjatjara
- Yankuntjara