The Port Stephens blacks : recollections of William Scott. The bush provided the secular climax of the ceremony. Dungog Chronicle : Durham and Gloucester Advertiser (NSW : 1894 - 1954) Fri 18 Mar 1927 Page 5 Early Days Of Port Stephens. These logs were generally supposed to have been left by floods, but I never felt satisfied, for they were mostly about the same distance apart. [6], This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. The old father rushed past me, seized a tomahawk, and cut his head in several places, until the blood gushed in quantities from the wounds; another old man snatched it from him, amid commenced upon his own bead. The keerang then march right through the line of men and boys, some going through at one place and some at another, the line opening to let them pass. One of them at last got up, took a sheet of bark, laid it across the grave, and stretched himself upon, it, crying pitifully. Discover your family history. Poisoning is the most cowardly form of massacre and the Aboriginal race cannot, do not, forget despite their kindly nature. The usual heap of earth on which the fire is kept burning was in the centre of this enclosure. he would cry. It was no light task to make a boomerang, for a good deal of skill and more than an ordinary amount of patience was necessary. Never once In all my life at Carrington did I ever see a [child] slapped or chastised, and the younger fry could be mischievous and very trying on occasions. Thomas Rodwell being sworn, saidI am a free man residing at Mr. Mackenzies establishment at Williams River; Mr. M. is resident magistrate there; on a Thursday morning in April, about two oclock, I was awoke by two of Mr. Archibald Mossmans men, who informed me on the previous night they had been attacked by a party of blacks, and that they expected before they returned to the station, the remainder of the men there would be murdered by them; the distance between the two stations, is about seven miles; I acquainted Mr. M. of the circumstance, and he gave me some arms and ammunition, and told me if I could find any men on his or Mr. Mossmans stations, to take them with me, and apprehend two or three of the depredaters; I mustered seven stand of arms and ammunition; I and the two men, who came with the information there, went to Mr. Mossmans, where we obtained six other men, making in the whole party nine persons, all of whom were armed save two, and we then went to the blacks camp, which was about two miles from Mr. Mossmans station [on the opposite bank of present day Seaham], near a small creek; when we arrived there, we saw about 20 black men; we divided ourselves into two parties; a blackboy, called Lumpy, who we took with us, pointed out the blacks to us; we had seven stand of arms, which we did not conceal from the blacks; the deceased John Flynn, was not in the same party with me, but both parties were to meet before we went up to the blacks, with whom we intended to speak peaceably. Two young Blacks who made a nuisance of themselves by continually begging for food at a certain accommodation house on Fosterton Road, were easily disposed of a little poison was put in their food. You can also try the grid of 16 letters. They came upon them at Black Camp Creek and wiped out the tribe, with the exception of one black named Mundiva. A troop of painted savages would bound into the magic circle, and prancing about and clash, ing thelir spears, would announce in hoarse tones that they could not find the poomblts, (the boys who were being initiated). They ranged in length from three-feet to three-feet six-inches, being shaped like a club and having a slightly tapering end . Ironically, it is directly above Baime cave where Europeans first viewed the Upper Hunter, led from Sydney by a tracker from the Wonnarua tribe. The Earliest Inhabitants - Aboriginal Tribes of the District. Polding spoke of the sexual abuse of mere children who are thus made incapable of becom- ing mothers. The bark would be stripped carefully from the tree and soaked in water until the outer portions could be readily scraped off with a shell. [citation needed], It was forbidden to mention or talk about the name of Baiame publicly. The Valley was always there. He said the absence of a recognised native title holder, as was the case in the Hunter Valley, couldfurther complicate claims. Meanwhile a strong body of settlers from the Williams and Allen Rivers struck out to the north-west, ascending the Williams and Chichester Rivers. Wildcard, crossword I have mentioned that the aboriginals (possessed a keen sense of humor and were marvellously clever mimics. 'gxI'wHOs$;I qv,1*dFnuv1:d8G+2(Qke >W8T 9s+-uanLm The fear that this race inspired in the natives of localities adjoining their boundaries reached as far as Dungog, and twenty years ago when Brandy was the last of his tribe in the district he would often mention with apparently genuine fear, the possibility of a raid by the wild blacks from the west. The headmen and young fellows who accompany them, are also a little way behind the novices, shouting and making a great noise as they march along. The chiefs and other old irien remain with the wom-nen at the kackaroo, and preparations for the ceremony are at once commenced. Mr Franks declined the ABC's requests for an interview but spoke about the matter in a webinar hosted by NSW Greens MLC David Shoebridge. A dreamtime story from the Wonnarua explains how the hills and rivers in the Hunter Valley were created by a spirit called Baiame. Dungog Chronicle and Gloucester Advertiser - Peep Into the Past March 24, 1932. . These were obtained by all the neighboring tribes in the vicinity of one of the most beautiful spots on the Manning waters, namely, Gummi Plain. The boys are then cautioned by the old men that if ever they tell the women or uninitiated that they have seen this instrument the penalty will be death. They had a simple and quick method of their own, that used by their forefathers through centuries of time, one indeed common to savage peoples all over the world, the creating of a spark by the friction of two pieces of wood rubbed together. The fire-maker would squat himself on the ground, the soles of his feet on the larger length of wood to hold it firm, the thinner section between the palms of his hands, its tapered point on the. When this experience assured him that he was a self-sufficient hunter, he re- turned, when the leaves turned brown, to take his rightful place amongst his people as well as the responsibility that went with this status. In regard to elopements, if a man and woman, Figure 7: Map of The Hunter Valley Kooris - reproduced from James Millers A Will to Win. . These were particular favorites, and it was no uncommon sight to see a group of excited blacks hacking at a log and dragging out the long, squirming worms ( which they would swallow raw and wriggling. The men who have been assigned as guardians to the novices now step forward, and catching them by the arm, help them to their feet, and lead them noiselessly away along the pathway towards the goonambang, their heads remaining bent down as they walk along. The [deceaseds] father and mother stayed for some days by the grave, making the top of it their bed; the mother never left it for some days after, and was found dead by a relation at the place, the cause being undoubtedly grief. Its history could impactthe future of mining in the valley. The novices are placed sitting down on the nets, and bend forward and drink water out of the coolamins which are on the ground in front of them. Hence the name Baal Belbora. The Australian Museums Egyptian Collection includes over one thousand objects and is one of the largest public collections of Egyptian antiquities in Australia. Man was given the knowledge to read the land and for every rock, tree and creek he found an explanation for existence. Great care was exercised in selecting the right tree for the purpose as any fault, caused by a knot or protuberance, would spoil the value of the sheet when stripped. As soon as they had prostrated themselves they were covered up with blankets and possum skin rugs by an old black who kept guard over them, with a heavy waddy in his hand, ready to knock any of the women on the head if they evinced signs 0 f restlessness or undue curiosity In the proceedings. The men and the [women] cut their heads with various implements, until blood flowed freely. It is situated on the right bank of the Manning, a few miles from its source the source of the Manning being on the north-eastern slopes of Polblue. When I departed from Port Stephens in 1873 to go to Queensland the tribe had dwindled to about fifty members. Lyn MacBain, who hasstudied local history in Singleton for the past 30 years, said the homestead should stay put. and the only cessation was when all burst into screams of laughter. Filling in under the logs with stones fitted, or saplings, with twigs woven in and out to let thee smaller fish get away. The foreshores were covered with oysters, which formed a staple part of the diet. For the most part full dress consisted of a possum-fur belt, with narrow strips of skin pendant there from both in front and at the back. Holding the lads firmly, the men then began a mad, wild dance, about the fire, working themselves up to a pitch of terrific excitement until they suddenly sprang on the blazing coals and began to stamp them out. 02 6571 1199, email A family tree is a diagram that shows the relationships between people in your family. During the day-time the novices are sometimes allowed to sit up, keeping their eyes towards the ground, but are not allowed to speak to anyone. A native was captured and executed at Dungog, near where the present Court House stands. A. Co. had established an out cattle station at Upper Ganghut a heifer run, in charge of [which were a few of] their assigned servants. As soon as the guardians, novices, and the contingent who follow them are out of sight of the kackaroo, the covering is taken off the women by the men who have charge of them, and they are permitted to rise. News - significant events and disasters. Among the last remaining artefacts of that era is the Ravensworth homestead, whichlies directly in the path of a proposed extension to Glencore's Glendell coal mine. If these people, after deliberation among themselves, decide to accept the invitation, they give the messenger another. Pride . One woman of each small tribe was usually dedicated this way, and to her was entrusted the task ct fashioning the fishing lines, the virtues accruing from her innate powers over fish being of course communicated to the lines she made. The men then dance and jump about in the ring, uttering guttural noises, the men of the new mob calling out the names of a few principal camping grounds in the country from which they have come. This being done, the whole force of the assembled tribes came up, running, shouting, and striking their shields with their clubs, and using a roarer which produced the most fearful and unnatural sounds. At the end of the song they would burst into shrieks of raucous merriment. . If an officers command were directed to proceed thither to scour the bush for a few days and, if possible, capture the offenders, for whose apprehension the Magistrates warrant was granted, it would have a good effect, by striking terror into the savage mind. [Coen] delighted in tormenting and carrying them away when he could get opportunities. endstream endobj 73 0 obj <>stream They then march on quickly, and on arriving at the kweealbang they disband, the men and novices belonging to each tribe taking up their position on the side which is in the direction of their country. And, no matter where he deposited his store, nor how many knew of its existence, the weapons were never touched again until the owner removed them. Further Notes on the Worimi By W. J. All of them then join hands, each man having hold of the hand of the man or boy on his right and oni his left, having their faces toward the fire in the centre, and form a complete circle round the women. The Blacks of Dungog, Port Stephens and Gresford. If, on the contrary, the tribe to whom the white stone was sent consider the time inopportune, or that there are other weighty reasons for post-poning the general gathering, no white stone is returned by the messenger, and the initiator then knows that they do not approve of his proposal, and the matter lapses for the present. He came straight up to the group, and within a dozen or so paces of us, threw on the ground his spears and boomerangs. A vivid chapter in the earliest history of Glen William deals with the wiping out of a tribe of blacks, and Black Camp of to-day doubtless takes its name from it. in that locality. I was born at Carrington, Port Stephens, on September 19. Two days prior to this, while in the Jerrys Plains area, Cunningham had noted Exocarpus [Native Cherry] and Sterculia heterophyllus [Kurrajong - NSW Herbarium] appearing in every part of the Forest. One was held on the top of the ridge in Irwins paddock, at the back of the house which is now situated at the Underbank-Wangat turn-off. Since those times the flying-fox has changed his habits considerably much to the loss of orchardists and those that cultivate fruit. Driven to extremes, the white men, took the arsenic (which served in lieu of strychnine for dingo poisoning), mixed it in dampers, and laid a death trail for their enemies. Genealogical Society of Utah (now FamilySearch) ca. from 1820 to 1921 by A.N. When one of these messengers arrives at the camp of the tribe he has been directed to summon, he sits down in sight of the mens quarters, and some of them go over to him, knowing by his manner that he is the bearer of news to their tribe. The Wonnarua were part of the land. 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