Narran Ecosystem Project Narran Factsheet

#3 Landuse in Narran The First Settlers

The Narran Lakes area has been occupied by Aboriginal people for thousands of years. This is evident from the many Aboriginal sites, which include shell middens, hearth sites with clay ovens, quarries, rock wells, scarred trees and burial sites. The Aboriginal people of the Narran area are known as the Yuwalaraay or Euahlayi. Their traditional lands extend from Angledool in the north, to Walgett in the south, to the Birree and Bohkara rivers in the west. The Narran Lakes provided the Yuwalaraay with an abundance of food, with their diet typically consisting 1 of fish, mussels and crayfish. They also hunted ducks and other waterbirds as well as emus, echidna, goanna, possums, paddymelons and kangaroos. Emu and goanna eggs were particularly sought after and grasshoppers, which are high in nutritional value, were another important food. Seeds from the water plant Nardoo (Marsilea drummondii) and other grasses were ground into flour for baking. As stewards of the land, 2 3 the Yuwalaraay were careful not to deplete the natural resources of the area. After harvesting a certain resource, Photos: 1. Ceremonial site, 2. freshwater mussel shell, they would move on and switch to another source of food; 3. stone artifacts. Photos by Michael Pospichil. also, animals were not eaten during their breeding season. Such was the abundance of food and other resources, European settlement that it is likely - despite being located in a dry inland area of - that the Narran area supported a semi- By the early 1830s, Europeans, in search of pasture for permanent Aboriginal population. The Narran area was sheep and cattle, began settling river regions of NSW, a meeting place for people of the Ngemba, Euahlayi and dispossessing many Aboriginal tribes of their lands. Muawari tribes. Gatherings, varying from a few families Many tribes fiercely resisted the European encroachment to thousands of people, were held to discuss important onto their lands, and some such as the Gamillaraay issues as well as to undertake initiation and marriage of the Namoi and Gwydir gained a reputation as war- ceremonies and other rites of passage. like and hostile for their efforts. Early explorers such as Narran Lake has mythological importance as a site Thomas Mitchell actively sought the aid of Aboriginal where several Aboriginal dreaming pathways converge. guides to help navigate them through the region, gaining One of these pathways extends from Dirranbandi in information about the river systems and names of local Landuse in Narran ’s south to Narran Lake. Springs, waterholes features. Aboriginal reserves were first created in 1850 and bends threading throughout the Narran River are by Governor Fitzroy. However, increasing demand for part of the dreaming path of Baayami, a creation being, pastoral country after 1860 heightened the pressure on who created the landscape’s natural features as well as Aboriginal lands. The NSW Aborigines Protection Board, setting down the laws and customs of the Yuwalaraay which was set up in the 1880s, responded by creating 85 tribe. reserves. Many of these were revoked after WWI when soldiers’ settlement blocks were created for returned servicemen. Narran Lakes Nature Reserve f h Nra Lks aue eev a a asr site a Ramsar of example a excellent an as being it listing Reserve of recognition The Nature in was Lakes site. Narran of heritage the Register natural of the a on as Narran listed Estate The also National is Service. Reserve Wildlife Nature the and Lakes by Parks Reserve Nature National a NSW as gazetted being after years eleven 1999, June in Ramsar Importance a International as of Wetland listed was Reserve Nature Lakes Narran The Peninsula, Cobourg the was N.T., Australia (220700ha),designated on8thMay 1974. International world), of the Wetland (in Ramsar Ramsar, Importance first in The adopted 1971. in was Iran, Wetlands on Convention The convention asa Wetland ofInternationalImportance. 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