KOOMPKINNING the Pumphrey's Bridge Storybook
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KOOMPKINNING The Pumphrey’s Bridge Storybook “Noongars camped all around the bush here. Used to be our home.” – Noongar Elder Mervyn Abraham I feel at home. I can feel the presence of my people. Above: Near the I’m Mervyn Abraham. place of my birth [In] 1938 I was born, under a tree. We was about 5km towards Wandering from camped there, and dad – Sam Abraham – was Pumphrey’s Bridge. working there. We only had horse and cart Above left: My dad them days and they reckon it was too far to go Sam Abraham. to town, so I was born in the bush. Left: I was born between two hills, Most of my relations were born in the bush. behind this farm gate. Some of them were born at Pumphrey’s Bridge. Kaya! (Hi!) Uncle Mervyn Abraham was born 109 years after the life of Noongars (the Aboriginal people of south-west Western Australia) was changed forever by the coming of white people. Mervyn’s Contents stories about life at Koompkinning on the 2 Ngala mia (our camp) Hotham River give a glimpse of what life was like This publication was produced and first published 3 Bilya (river) in 2015 by Wheatbelt NRM, through funding from for many Noongars during the twentieth century. the Australian Government’s National Landcare 4 The spring Wheatbelt NRM respectfully thanks Uncle Merv for Programme. 5 Corroboree ground sharing katadjin (knowledge) and photos in this ISBN 978-0-9924243-4-3 6 Moort (family) Any reproduction in full or in part of this publication storybook. We also thank Gary Bennell and Alice must mention the title Koompkinning: The Collard for their contributions. Noongar katadjin 7 Work Pumphrey’s Bridge Storybook and the publisher Wheatbelt NRM. belongs to and remains the intellectual property 8 Marany (food) Storyteller: Mervyn Abraham of the Noongar communities who shared it. 9 The shop Other storytellers: Gary Bennell and Alice Collard Noongar language is used in this book. There are 10 Day trips from Wandering Mission Interviews/design/photos: Christie Kingston many different Noongar language groups and it 11 The old bridge Printed on 100% post production recycled paper was an oral language (not traditionally written 12 Sport using vegetable-based inks. down), so different words and spellings exist. 13 School Wheatbelt Natural Resource Management Inc 269 Fitzgerald St, Northam, Western Australia This storybook is one of a series that aims to 14 The falling stones PO Box 311, Northam WA 6401 T: (08) 9670 3100 | Fax: (08) 9670 3140 inspire you to learn more about our unique 18 Graves E: [email protected] boodjar (country) and Noongar culture, and help 19 From Pumphrey’s Bridge to Pingelly W: www.wheatbeltnrm.org.au ABN: 61 661 518 664 deepen respect, love and care for our kwobidak 20 Koora, yey, kalyakoorl (beautiful) country. (past, present, forever) WARNING Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are Kerry Collard advised that this book contains names and Aboriginal NRM Project Facilitator images of people who have passed away. Wheatbelt Natural Resource Management Inc 1 Ngala mia Bilya (our camp) (river) Standing next to the campsite where my Uncle Fred and Aunty Frances Little lived. The upright Mangart / Jam Tree / Acacia acuminata posts in these photos are the original tent posts. Noongars camped all around the bush here. Used to be our home. My old Uncle Fred Little and Aunty Frances used to have a tent right here. In the front, outside the tent under a shelter, they had a kitchen where they cooked their meals. This is how we used to live. You could have a wash down the river there. Everything was pretty good. Oh, we used to be happy in them days, I know that. Mangart / No hassles. No power bills, water bills or nothing. Jam Tree / They lived there for quite a few years then they moved to Pingelly. Acacia acuminata Flowering (above), and cut (left), at Pumphrey’s Bridge. 27 August 2015 Noongar English The Noongar name for around Pumphrey’s Bridge Kornt / Camping / is Koompkinning — it means plenty of water. kaylap / dwelling The water used to be fresh in those days. karla-mia place Fresh water for drinking, you could drink it, Above: Cyril Penny’s tent at Donaldson’s Pumphrey farm Karla Fire have a cup of tea out of it, wash in it. It’s completely different now. Below: Koolangka (children) Rhonda Penny and Karl-boorn Firewood Right: Mrs Kenny Ugle sleeping inside the tent. The stones Burong / Rain It should be alright when it’s raining, running to the right of the lamp mysteriously fell there Alma Ugle and water, it’s pretty good. But when it stops, without leaving holes in the tent (see page 14). her daughter djart Sandra, that’s when the salinity comes into it. Photos: Weekend Mail, Saturday 23 March 1957 Kep Rain farmers It’s brackish now, gone all brackish. Brian and Ian koorliny coming Donaldson Bilya River and Mrs Lorna Gary Bennell recalls: “We used to learn to swim in that Penny with Maar Cloud Rhonda inside river. We used to go from here in Pingelly out that way. the tent. Mari Rain cloud That would have been in the fifties [1950’s].” Photo: Daily News, warabiny Wednesday 20 2 March 1957 3 The spring Corroboree ground The spring’s next to the old bridge, on the north side. You get that fresh water all year around there. We’d clean around it, get all the scrub and all the grass from around it, and you’d get the clear, fresh water. Needs to be See the old corroboree ground here? cleaned up and Nothing grows. I was a bit young for it, the water will but I remember them telling me Noongars come up again. come from everywhere. Miles around they’d come here for corroboree. 1942 was the last Gary Bennell time they were here, I think. remembers: “We Used to have a fire in the middle there, had an uncle who dancing around. I was a kid then. I was knee high to a grasshopper. I think my had some mental Grandfather Nabby Abraham was one of the issues. Uncle Jack dancers. Bennell. He was Nice and quiet. Away from the hustle and very quiet, you bustle of everybody. know. He was a big, Noongars came from Albany, Gnowangerup, tall man. He was in Katanning, Wagin, Dumbleyung, Williams, a mental institution Narrogin and other places. By horse and cart and walking. Take a couple of days to get in Perth. collection Photo: Gary Bennell’s here, a week or something like that. He came home Nice and peaceful out here, isn’t it? Gary Bennell’s parents Alice Hill, daughter and Dad – Andy You can feel it. You can feel a presence of of Charlie and Rachel (nee Abraham), Bennell – used to and Andy Bennell, son of Ned Bennell and Noongar spirits. Christine ‘Kidjen’ (nee Humphries). take him out there The spring is under this grass on the weekends, Gary Bennell says: “Dad used to to sit down and spend time with him. Noongar English Noongar English Kep / kepa Water Midar/kobori / Dance dance there in the corroborees when Us boys would be down the bottom Djooly Dew corroboree he was a young fella. Grandfather swimming and Dad would be up the top Dudja / djindi Mist, fog Dudjarak / Song Ned was working up there on the the other side near the spring. Sit down yewoorl (ceremonial) hill and Dad met Mum there. Dad quiet and just yarn all day, you know. Walken Rainbow Moorditj Strong Kedininy / Sing used to dance there and camp When we did go near them we’d be very warangka collection. Photo: Gary Bennell’s Moorditjabiny Becoming strong across the road. Ned is Merv’s quiet. So Dad kind of brought him back Wilgi Red ochre grandfather too, and Christine is our (ceremonial) into the community. Work his way back into the community. Like therapy, you know.” grandmother. You feel all the spirits The Kidjen Dancers are there. They’re there.” named after Christine ‘Kidjen’. 4 5 Moort (family) Work Noongars worked around here, shearing and all that Left image: on farms, clearing, fencing, The plaque to all farm work and that. be installed at Yeah, they was the ones Koompkinning got the farmers going. Pumphrey’s Bridge to They cleared all that land commemorate around that area. the site as My grandfather worked traditional Langie’s farm. He worked camping there just for food. grounds. I remember he never used to have any money. My My Grandmother, Grandmother Laura ‘Demma’ Abraham (nee Humes), holding baby Laura sang Mathew Abraham next to my all the old Grandfather Nabby Abraham. songs. Wish I had a tape recorder then. She sang old Noongar collection Photo: Mervyn Abraham’s songs. I don’t remember the songs. Background photo: Flowering Mangart / Jam Tree / Acacia acuminata at Pumphrey’s Bridge. 27 August 2015 Quite a few families camped around here, quite a few. There’s Abrahams, Bennells, Winmars, Littles, Hills. You know the boys play footy in Dockers and Eagles? They’re from the family around this area. They’re all my relations, they are. Steve Hill’s Dockers. Josh Hill’s Eagles. Nicky Winmar’s from here, it’s his grandparent’s place. Rosie Winmar was Nicky’s aunty and Linda Winmar (nee When I left school and I used to be a good axe You had no permanent Abraham) was Rosie’s mum. Noongars camped here year round. started working, it was man. I enjoyed it.