♦Bega Valley Shire Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Study ♦ i ♦Stage 3a FINAL AUGUST 2010♦ Bega Valley Shire Council/ NSW Department of Environment Climate Change & Water / Susan Dale Donaldson of Environmental & Cultural Services / Individual Indigenous Knowledge Holders. Bega Valley Shire Council PO Box 492 Bega NSW 2550 Ph: (02) 6499 2222 Fax: (02) 6499 2200 Email: [email protected] Department of Environment Climate Change & Water NSW National Parks and Wildlife Services PO Box 1967 Hurstville NSW 2220 Ph: 1300 361 967 Fax: 02 9585 6555 www.npws.nsw.gov.au Susan Dale Donaldson Environmental & Cultural Services Moruya, NSW, 2537. Ph/ Fax: 02 4474 5899 [email protected] Individual Indigenous Knowledge Holders can be contacted through the three participating Local Aboriginal Land Councils: Bega LALC: 02 64923950 Eden LALC: 02 64957177 Merrimans LALC: 02 44737288 The BVSC, DECCW and Susan Donaldson acknowledge the cultural and intellectual property rights of the Indigenous knowledge holders whose stories are featured in this report. Use and reference of this material is allowed for the purposes of strategic planning, research or study provided that full and proper attribution is given to the individual indigenous knowledge holder/s being referenced. The Indigenous knowledge holders whose stories are contained in this report are: Pam Flanders, Mervyn Penrith, Harold Harrison, Ken Campbell, Deanna Campbell, Max Munroe, Loraine Naylor, Eric Naylor, Georgina Parsons, Mary Duroux, Margaret Dixon, Colleen Dixon, Gloria Pickalla, Cecil Hoskins, Jo Mundy, Jim Scott, Alma Carter, Faith Aldridge, John Dixon, Lionel Mongta, Valma Tungai, Jenny Andy, Marie Andy, John Mumbler, Tina Mongta, Olga, Beryl Cruse, Margaret Henry, Wilma Manton, Elaine Thomas, John Stewart , Deanna Davison, Ossie Cruse, Ben Cruse and Lisa Arvidson. Warning: contains reference to people who have passed away. ♦Bega Valley Shire Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Study ♦ ii ♦Stage 3a FINAL AUGUST 2010♦ TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................. vi EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................... vii 1. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................ 1 1.1 Study background ............................................................................................... 1 1.2 Study area ............................................................................................................. 2 1.3 Study methodology, stage 3a ........................................................................... 4 2. BACKGROUND RESEARCH .................................................................................... 5 2.1 Review of previous stages .................................................................................. 5 2.2 Review of other materials ................................................................................... 7 3 ORAL HISTORY RESEARCH ..................................................................................... 10 3.1 WALLAGA LAKE CULTURAL AREA ............................................................... 11 3.1.1 Wallaga Lake Aboriginal Reserve / Koori Village ...................................... 11 3.1.2 Wallaga Lake ................................................................................................... 20 3.1.3 Murunna Point ‘Wintles’ ................................................................................. 27 3.1.4 Fringe camp – Beauty Point .......................................................................... 29 3.1.5 Dignams Creek ................................................................................................ 30 3.1.6 Gulaga landscape ......................................................................................... 36 3.2 BERMAGUI CULTURAL AREA .............................................................................. 38 3.2.1 Bermagui bushland ......................................................................................... 38 3.2.2 Bermagui River ................................................................................................. 39 3.2.3 Bermagui Beach .............................................................................................. 40 3.2.4 Bermagui Waterhole ....................................................................................... 40 3.2.5 Bermagui sawmill ............................................................................................. 41 3.2.6 Bermagui School ............................................................................................. 41 3.2.7 Bermagui Hall ................................................................................................... 42 3.3 THE MURRAH CULTURAL AREA .......................................................................... 42 3.3.1 The Murrah ........................................................................................................ 42 3.4 THE GOALEN BUNGA HEAD CULTURAL AREA ................................................. 42 3.4.1 Bunga ................................................................................................................ 43 3.5 THE ARAGUNNU CULTURAL AREA .................................................................... 43 3.5.1 Aragunnu .......................................................................................................... 43 3.5.2 Middle Beach ................................................................................................... 45 3.6 THE COBARGO – QUAAMA CULTURAL AREA................................................. 46 3.6.1 COBARGO SAW MILL ...................................................................................... 46 3.6.1 Cobargo Saw mill ............................................................................................ 46 3.6.2 Cobargo Township .......................................................................................... 47 3.6.3 Quaama ........................................................................................................... 48 ♦Bega Valley Shire Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Study ♦ iii ♦Stage 3a FINAL AUGUST 2010♦ 3.7 THE BIAMANGA ‘MUMBULLA’ CULTURAL AREA ............................................. 49 3.7.1 Mumbulla Mountain / Biamanga ................................................................. 49 3.7.2 Doctor George Mountain .............................................................................. 51 3.7.3 Brogo Pass ........................................................................................................ 52 3.7.4 Wappengo ....................................................................................................... 52 3.8 THE BEGA VALLEY CULTURAL AREA .................................................................. 53 3.8.1 The Bega River ................................................................................................. 53 3.8.2 The Brogo River ................................................................................................ 56 3.8.3 North Bega River Bank - camp ..................................................................... 57 3.8.4 Bega River – Tarraganda ............................................................................... 61 3.8.5 Angledale Rd - Stoney Creek Camp ........................................................... 62 3.8.6 Murray’s Flat ..................................................................................................... 65 3.8.7 Jellat Jellat ‘Jilla’ / Penuka ............................................................................ 68 3.8.8 Reedy Swamp .................................................................................................. 74 3.8.9 Bega Township ................................................................................................. 77 3.8.10 Black Range ................................................................................................... 88 3.9 THE WHITE ROCKS – BOULDER BAY CULTURAL AREA ..................................... 89 3.9.1 White Rocks ...................................................................................................... 89 3.10 THE KAMERUKA CULTURAL AREA .................................................................... 89 3.10.1 Kameruka estate ........................................................................................... 89 3.10.2 Brown Mountain ............................................................................................ 90 3.11 THE TATHRA - MOGOREEKA – KALARU CULTURAL AREA ............................ 90 3.11.1 Tathra .............................................................................................................. 90 3.11.2 ‘Blackfellows Lagoon’ – Cohen’s Lake. .................................................... 91 3.11.3 Mogareeka .................................................................................................... 92 3.11.4 Moon Bay ....................................................................................................... 93 3.12 THE MERRIMBULA CULTURAL AREA ................................................................ 93 3.12.1 Merimbula ...................................................................................................... 93 3.13 THE PAMBULA CULTURAL AREA .....................................................................