Bundjalung Nation

The Bundjalung Nation (also spelt Bandjalang, Banjalang or Badjelang) has become a general term for the whole language area stretching the far North East Coast of NSW and the Southern Eastern coast of Queensland. It extends from Grafton on the Clarence River in the South to the Logan River in the North and inland as far as the Great Dividing Range at Teterfield and Warwick.

At the time of first European contact in the  1800’s there were up to 20 dialects in the Bundjalung Nation, including; Wahlubal, Yugambeh, Birrihn, Bandjalang, Wudjebal, Wiyabal, Wuhyabal, Minyangbal, Ngaraakwal, Ngarrahngbal, Nyangbal, Barryugil, Gidhabal, Galibal and Githabul.

These ancient languages and dreamtime stories of the Bundjalung people have only just mananged to survive and much has been lost. In just over 200 years after thousands of years of occupation, the last speakers of the original language have all but been wiped out.

Sacred lands and hunting grounds were involuntarily turned into someone else’s property and families were torn apart to an extent that still impacts on the new generations.

more coming……………..