GUILDJAN INDIANS IN AUSTRAILIA

THE GUILDEAN ARE KNOWN AS THE COLAC TRIBE WHOSE LAND COVERS THE LAKE COLAC REGION OF VICTORIA. THEY HAD GRASSLANDS, WOODLANDS, VOLCANIC PLAINS AND LAKES.

THEIR TERRITORY BORDERED THE WADA WURRUNG AND OTHER TRIBES. THEY LIVED FOR 10,000 YEARS AS SEMI NOMADIC SUBSISTENCE LIFESTYLE WITH A SYSTEM OF OF LORE AND SPIRITUALITY WITH A SENSE OF PLACE.

THEY WERE HIT HARD BY THE EUROPEAN SETTLEMENT WITH MOST OF THEIR LANDS OCCUPIED BY SQUATTERS IN 1838, 3 YEARS AFTER THE FOUNDING OF MELBORNE. THE GUILDIANS WERE HIT HARD BY THE EUROPEAN INVASION AND SETTLEMENT WITH MOST OF THEIR LANDS OCCUPIED BY SQUATTERS IN 1838. THEY RESISTED BY DRIVING OFF LIVESTOCK AND RAIDING STATIONS. THESE RAIDS BROUGHT PARTIES OF SETTLERS WITH VIOLENT REACTIONS. IN 1839 THE SETTLERS KILLED ABORIGINES AND DESTROYED CAMPSITES AND TOOK IMPLEMENTS AS REVENGE.

IN ADDITION SEVERAL ABORIGINAL GROUPS ATTACKED EACH OTHER. BY 1837THE GUILDJAN NUMBERS WERE ABOUT 35-40 AND BY THE 1850'S THEY HAD 78 FOLKS.

IN 1838 A RIVER FRANCIS TUCKFIELD FROM WESLAYAN MISSION SOCIETY WAS ESTABLISHED AT BUNTINGDALE. THERE WERE CONFLICTS BETWEEN THE GUILIDJAN AND WADA WURRUNG AT THE MISSION. THE CHRISTIANS TRIED TO CONVERT THE GUILIDJAN IN 1842. THEIR EFFORTS WERE NOT SUCCESSFUL AND THE MISSION WAS CLOSED.

IN 1860 A SMALLRESERVE WAS ESTABLISHED ON THE BARWON RIVER FOR GUILIDJAN PEOPLE. IT WAS MAINTIANED UNTIL 1875. THEY PREFERRED TO LIVE A TRADITIONALMIA MIOS LIFE.

THEIR SOCIETY INTERMARRIED WITH DJABWURRING. THEY HAD FOUR CLANS. ONLY 100 WORDS OF THEIR LANGUAGE HAS SURVIVED. IT MAY BE A MIIXTED LANGUAGE OR CREOLE LANGUAGE.

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