Gregory National Park Aboriginal Culture

Aboriginal People Have Lived with the Land for a Long Time

Feb 8, 2009

The first people in northern Australia were part of the land and had responsibilities to look after the land so that it would sustain them. They still do.

With an intimate knowledge of the land local Aboriginal groups traditionally followed the resources they needed across the landscapes through the seasons.

As they looked after their country and followed laws written in the land, the country nourished them.

The groups belonging to Gregory National Park are Ngaliwurru-Nungali, Ngarinyman, Bilinara, Jaminjung, Karrangpurru and Wardaman.

Family and Territory

Aboriginal people lived in clans made up of a few extended families. Their rights and responsibilities were, and still are, based on family connections.

Each clan is associated with an area of land. Traditionally they moved around their country in response to changing seasons and the natural cycles of plants and animals.

Traditional Hunting and Gathering

Women gathered plant foods and fished. Men hunted larger animals like wallaroos, wallabies and monitors.

Plants were used for food, medicine, tools, weapons, shelter, cooking and as environmental indicators. The flowering or fruiting of particular plants signalled the change of seasons and times for activities like hunting certain animals and gathering eggs.

The Yellow Kapok is the most easily seen example of this. The yellow kapok flower lets people know that freshwater crocodiles are carrying eggs, green fruits signal that it is time to dig the eggs out of the sand and brown fruits cracking open indicate that eggs are hatching.

Creating Land and Life

Creation Beings were the first to walk the earth. They walked in human form but also took on other shapes. As they walked, Creation Beings left marks of their travels and activities on the earth.

At some point most of the Creation Beings changed into the life and other forms we see today - plants, animals, rock art and constellations. They also put their power into certain sites. The activities of Creation Beings are also known as 'Dreamtime Stories'.

Laws

Laws to sustain life were laid down during Creation. They define the roles and responsibilities of people to each other and their country. These laws continue and are written in the land.

Many landmarks have stories associated with them that remind people of their responsibilities and laws. Some sites are particularly important because of the powers Creation Beings left there, or are ceremonial sites.

Looking after Country

The territory of a clan is the country of that clan. People are born for a particular country and must take care of it so the country takes care of its people. They have responsibilities to talk to country, introduce young people and visitors to it and perform ceremonies to look after it.

Aboriginal Sites in Gregory National Park

There are many sites important to the Aboriginal people of the region, including a few you can easily see when you visit.

Stories about creation of the land and its inhabitants are told on interpretive signs along the Escarpment Walk, near the Victoria River Roadhouse. Just a little further west you can see paintings on the escarpment walls along the Nawulbinbin Walk and cross the path of a creation ancestor.

Gregory's Tree, west of Timber Creek, is an important meeting place and ceremonial site, as well as non Aboriginal historic site. Beyond the bitumen, Bullita Homestead shares some of the culture and history of Gregory National Park.

Gregory National Park, Parks & Wildlife Service of the Northern Territory (internal report)

The copyright of the article Gregory National Park Aboriginal Culture in Cultural Anthropology is owned by Susan Pedersen. Permission to republish Gregory National Park Aboriginal Culture in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.