“The Digging for Water Place”

 

The Aboriginal people of this area belong to the Kamilaroi tribe. The Kamilaroi/Gomilaroi, from the word Kamil or Kumil meaning main soul, are a large nation of Aborigines consisting of many tribes. The Kamilaroi are the second largest Aboriginal nation on the eastern side of Australia, and the language is known as Gamilaraay. The nation was made up of many smaller family groups who had their own parcels of land to sustain them.

 

Their tribal grounds covered an area of over 50,000 klms, extending from just north of the Barwon River, to the south of the Namoi River, Gunnedah. One of the great Kings of this tribe was ‘Red Chief’ who is buried near Gunnedah. The last link with tribal law and custom in Mungindi would be the forbear of the present Cubby family, who was the last known King in the tribe.

 

In the days when the tribe wandered the plains, they had a regular stopover place on the River. There were times when the land was dry and the water stopped running and the river became a great number of waterholes. At such times, the tribe stayed on much longer at the River than usual, for most of all was the importance of water to Aboriginal life.

 

As the water holes dried up and the water became brackish and turned sour, the tribe would dig down in to the sandy patches just along from site of the present hospital (Qld side) and the holes that they dug would fill with fresh sweet water. So this became Mungindi, the Digging for Water Place, a happy resting place where there was always food and water to be found, even in the worst of seasons.

 

The Corroboree ground was situated on the Qld side (near the current Qld police station), and the last Corroboree took place there in about 1895. It is believed the Camp was on the ridge (on the Boomi Road, near the current Namoi Cotton Co-operative). It was certainly on higher ground, with the wurleys constructed in rounded fashion of curved saplings and walls and rooves of bark, immaculately kept. As part of the preparation for feasting, the Aborigines searched for large river mussels, in particular at the Little Weir, along the Talwood Road. At sunset, the tribe would rest under the trees along the Barwon River banks, gathered for the time being & making the best of the shade.