Bonzer Words!: The Bunuba And The Ngarinyin
...Police who caught Aborigines spearing cattle put them in chains and sent them to Derby hundreds of kilometres away on foot. The torture of the chains around their necks in searing heat must have been unbearable. Many of these were sent by boat to Rottnest Island near Perth where few survived the cold or saw their country again....
Paul Newbury tells of Aboriginal resistence to European invaders.
Paul writes for Bonzer! magazine. Please visit www.bonzer.org.au
The Bunuba and Ngarinyin peoples of the Kimberley in the north of Western Australia inhabit one of the most spectacular regions on the Australian continent. The area is known for its rugged mountain ranges and magnificent water features— Windjana Gorge, Geikie Gorge and Fitzroy River.
The Kimberley can be accessed via Gibb River Road from the south through Derby or from the north via Kununurra. My partner Jan and I traveled the Road in 1996 and we were two of many thousands of self-drive tourists traveling from gorge to gorge and camping out along the Road.
The Gibb River Road is 600 km of dirt accessible only by 4-wheel drive. It runs like a great artery through the Kimberley providing access to homestead accommodation, magnificent gorges, Aboriginal art and lovely camping spots. The peak time is in the Dry—May to August. The Road is closed during the Wet.
The Ngarinyin and Bunuba peoples are the main Indigenous language groups of the region and much of the Gibb River Road lies in Ngarinyin country. Many Ngarinyin live in communities located along the Road.
The gorges and Wandjina art are the major tourist attractions. Wandjina are ancestral spirits who traveled the land in the Dreaming forming the natural features of the Kimberley landscape. They appear in human form with haloes around their heads.
Bunuba country includes Windjana and Geikie Gorge National Parks that lie to the south end of Gibb River Road. The Bunuba run three pastoral stations on their traditional land. They regard the cattle and tourism industries as the foundation of a secure and independent future for their people—free from welfare dependency. Today, many Bunuba live at Fitzroy Crossing.
Bunuba know Geikie Gorge as Darngku and the Bunuba Darlngunaya Aboriginal Corporation runs the Darngku Heritage Cruise on the gorge. The traditional owners are able to give tourists the indigenous perspective of the region and its unique flora and fauna. Recent Bunuba ancestors made a powerful contribution to the history of the Kimberley.
In the late 19th Century, pastoralists flocked to the Kimberley to take up cattle runs. By 1890, the Aboriginal people of the river plains had been decimated by massacre and disease. However, when pastoralists attempted to establish runs in places like the Fitzroy River, the Bunuba people of the mountain ranges harassed them using guerilla tactics to defend their land against invasion.
Police who caught Aborigines spearing cattle put them in chains and sent them to Derby hundreds of kilometres away on foot. The torture of the chains around their necks in searing heat must have been unbearable. Many of these were sent by boat to Rottnest Island near Perth where few survived the cold or saw their country again.
A young Bunuba man, Jandamarra, stepped into the conflict and led the resistance struggle that held up the development of the pastoral industry for a decade. Jandamarra was one of many Aboriginal resistance leaders like Pemulwuy and Yagan who became freedom fighters in the battle to defend their land and the lives of their people from the European invasion.
In an encounter known as the 'Battle of Windjana Gorge', a party of thirty police attacked the Bunuba during which Jandamarra was injured but escaped. Jandamarra recovered to resume the resistance. Jandamarra's capacity to recover from injury and his uncanny ability to evade his pursuers built the legend among his people that he was endowed with the powers of magic and immortality.
Today, tourists are invited to follow the tracks of this resistance hero from Derby to Windjana Gorge. Copies of the Jandamarra Heritage Trail are available at the Derby or Broome Tourist Centre.
In a survey conducted by the Kimberley Aboriginal Land Council in 2003, the Gibb River Road Aboriginal communities gave their perspective on the impact of tourism on their region. They supported the industry but pointed to the need to find a balance between tourism, the interests of their communities and the wider Road community including pastoralists.
The Report called for government support to protect the environmental and cultural heritage of the region and the Aboriginal respondents asked to be directly involved in the management and development of tourism in the region.
© Paul Newbury
