Indigenous Places

The Yuin are considered as the traditional owners of Wallaga Lake land. They operate the Umbarra Cultural Centre near the lake. The former Wallaga Lake National Park is incorporated into Gulaga National Park.

Merriman Island in Wallaga Lake is a sacred place for the Yuin people. On 25 November 1977, it was the first place in New South Wales to be declared an Aboriginal Heritage site by the the New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS). The island was named after King Merriman, leader of the Yuin, who died in 1904. His Aboriginal name was Umbarra. His wife was Queen Narelle.

This story is about Umbarra the Black Duck, which is the totem of the Yuin nation.

Back in the old days, when the people used to live around here, a lad named Merriman had his totem called Umbarra the Black Duck. Umbarra warned Merriman everywhere he went of the danger. How he did it was he fluttered. The Black Duck fluttered and he dived down into the water and made splashes. When Merriman, the old man, saw that bird doing that, he knew that there was danger coming.

One day, all the tribe was out getting a feed of fish, bimbullas and djungas. Merriman spotted Umbarra and he was going off his head. He was diving in the water, splashing about, ruffling his feathers up and so Merriman knew there was some people coming.

He told all the people to get all the women and children. He put them in the canoes and he sent them out to the island, Merriman's Island. All the women and children, and the Elders, went out there.

All the warriors were around the lakeside waiting for these other fellas. They were coming here to steal the women. The night came and those fellas came. They were sneaking up and, as they were getting nearer, the Black Duck he warned the people. When they came and tried to go to the island where all the people were, all the warriors on there kept them off from invading that land and taking the women.

That's why we're still here today, because Umbarra the Black Duck saved us.

mumbulla mountain

Mumbulla Mountain, located in the middle of Bega Valley Shire, was named in November 1973, after Jack Mumbulla, who was a senior man of the Yuin nation. Mumbulla Mountain is the central place of significance in Biamanga National Park. Certain areas have been recognised as a ceremonial meeting places for Aboriginal men and women.

The connection between the people and their land, particularly their sacred sites, is so strong that the facial features of Jack Mumbulla (also known as Biamanga) and Percy Mumbulla are believed to have been present in the rocks on Biamanga before they were born. The person is the land, and the land is the person.

guluga

Mount Dromedary, recently renamed Gulaga Mountain, in the Gulaga National Park, is described by Aboriginal people as the place of ancestral origin for Yuin people. Gulaga itself symbolises the mother and provides a basis for Aboriginal spiritual identity, for Aboriginal women and men.

Gulaga is the source and centre of the created world for the Yuin people; to damage the mountain would be to physically damage the people. 'The ties between person and country constitute an intense and enduring solidarity; they exist before the person is born, are manifested throughout the person's life, and continue after death'.

On 6 May 2006 the freehold titles to Gulaga and Biamanga National Parks were handed back to the Yuin people by the New South Wales Government. Freehold title of Gulaga National Park will be held in trust for the aboriginal owners by Merrimans and Wagonga Local Aboriginal Lands Councils, while that of Biamanga will be held in trust by Merrimans and Bega Local Aboriginal Lands Councils.

This next story is about Gulaga, which is our mother mountain, our sacred mountain. It's about her two sons Najanuga and Barranguba.

Barranguba is Montague Island, that's what the white people call it. Barranguba is the older son of Gulaga and the way the story goes is that, Gulaga she had two sons-Barranguba and Najanuga and Barranguba was the oldest.

Just like the older son or older brother who gets sick of living near their mother, he moves away. So Barranguba asked his Mum could he move away from her side for a bit and he went out into the sea to watch the actions of all the fishes and whales. Take care of all that.

The little brother, he saw the big brother going out and he said to Gulaga 'Mum, mum, can I go out too? I'm big. I'm grown up, can I go out and watch the fish and the whales?'

She said, 'No, son. You are too little. If I let you go out there, you'd get swallowed up by Gadu, the sea. I'll put you down near the foot of me, so I can watch you and you can watch your brother out in the ocean.'

She put him down where he is now and that's where he stayed, to watch the actions of his brother while under the eye of his mother. We call that little mountain `mummy's little boy', because he's always with his mum.

barranguba

Montague Island is known to the Yuin people as Barranguba. Barranguba is regarded as being the son of Gulaga, along with Najanuga; Barranguba being the oldest son and allowed out to sea, whereas Najanuga had to stay close to his mother.

indigenous places

wallaga lake

mumbulla mountain

guluga

barranguba