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Eddie Koiki Mabo Timeline

Accompanying website for the Eddie Koiki Mabo Timeline inside the Eddie Koiki Mabo Library, James Cook University

2016

The Bindal and Wulgurukaba peoples lodge native title claims for the Townsville area. 

Traditional owners and custodians, the Bindal and Wulgurukaba People are the first people to have lived in the Townsville region.

The Bindal people call the country “Thul Garrie Waja”. An important symbol for the Bindal people is the shooting star. They believe that wherever the star fell, or the the direction the star fell meant there was either danger coming or someone from that direction was in need of help or in danger.

The Wulgurukaba people call their country “Gurambilbarra”.  Wulgurukaba means “canoe people”. An important symbol of the Wulgurukaba people is the carpet snake (python). Wulgurukaba's creation story tells the story of the creation spirit (carpet snake) that comes down from the Herbert River, goes out to sea creating the Hinchinbrook Channel and down to Palm and Magnetic Islands. The snake's body broke up leaving parts along the coast. The tail of the snake is at Halifax Bay, and his body is at Palm Island (Bwgcolman), while his head rests at Arcadia, Magnetic Island (Yunbenun).

Land claim area Bindal & Wulgurukaba Land claim area map of northern Queensland.
© Image sourced from National Native Title Tribunal
Land claim area map of Wulgurukaba and Bindal peoples. Land claim area of Wulgurukaba and Bindal peoples
© Image from National Native Title Tribunal

We acknowledge the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the first inhabitants of the nation and acknowledge Traditional Owners of the lands where our staff and students, live, learn and work.Acknowledgement of Country

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