GUNDHMARA IN AUSTRALIA

GUNDHMARA AN INDIGENOUS GROUP IN WESTERN VICTORIA. THEIR NEIGHBORS TO THE WEST ARE AN INDIGENOUS GROWTH IN WESTERN VICTORIA. THEIR NEIGHBORS TO THE WEST,
THE BUANDIG, TO THE NORTH THEY WERE THE JARDWADIALI AND DJAB WURING PEOPLE.

THESE PEOPLE WERE RIVER AND LAKE PEOPLE. THEIR RIVER SYSTEMS WEREIMPORTANT SYSTEMS ECONOMICALLY AND SPIRITUALLY. THEY HAD A SOPHISTICATED SYTEM OF AQUACULTURE AND FARMING, AS WELL AS STONE DWELLINGS. THEY BUILT STONE DAMS TO HOLD WATER IN THESE CHANNELS. THEY GREW SHORT EELS AND OTHER FISH. THEY BUILT CHANNELS LINKING WETLANDS. THESE CHANNELS ARE CONTAINED, WEIRS OF WOVEN BASKETS TO HARVEST IN THE EELS.

IN 1833 THE WHALERS CLASHED WITH THE GUNCHAMARA AND NEIGHBORS AT PORTLAND BEACH. THEIR DISPUTE OF A BEACHED WHALE. THE GUNDY THREW SPEARS AND WHALERS FIRED GUNS. APPARENTLY MANY WERE KILLED WITH ONLY 2 ABORIGINES SURVIVING. AGAIN IN THE MID 19TH CENTURY THE ABORIGINES CONFLICTED W EUROPEANS. OVER 20 YEARS THE ENUMERALLA WAR TOOK PLACE AND THE REMAINSOF PEOPLE INVOLVED ARE AT DUUN MAAR.

IN THE LATE 1800'S MANY WERE MOVED TO THE FRANKLINGHAM ABORIGINAL STATION, A MISSION. IN 1987 THE ABORIGINES GOT 1130 ACRES OF FOREST TRUST. THE TITLE CAN BE TRANSFERRED TO ANOTHER INDIGENOUS LAND TRUST. IT PREVENTS MINING. IN 1993 THE THE GUNDITJMARA OF DEEN MARA PUT THERE LAND INTO AN INDIGENOUS PROTECTED AREA. THEY FOUGHT FIERCELY FOR RECOGNITION OF TRADITIONAL OWNERS RIGHTS. BY 2007 THEY RECEIVED FORMAL RECOGNITION THROUGH AUSTRAILIAN GOVERNMENTS ABORIGINAL LANDS. THE GUNDIT MARA ARE OWNERS OF 140,000 HECTARES RECOGNIZED BY FEDERAL COURT. THEIR PROPERTIES FEATURE THEIR AQUASYSTEM OF PERMANENT SETTLEMENT.

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