Field Notebook E1 - North-central and North-east NSW - Kinship and Social Organisation. [Yuwaalaraay, Wailwan, Ngambaa, Wirazari, ? Wirraayaraay, Murawari, Badjiri, Gamilaraay]

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The content relates to the following language groups: Gamilaraay, Murawari - [Muruwari], Badjiri, Gubbi Gubbi [Kabi], Wongaibon, Ngambaa, [?Wirazari], Wailwan, Kogai, and Yuwaalaraay.

Travel details appear on the back page. Pages 4-33 are blank.

Organisation: The majority of content reads from the rear: - beginning with a language group named and located, citing RHM, several words and what appears to be the kinship descriptions of named individuals [see names below]. (RHM is probably the Robert Hamilton Mathews (1841-1918) who wrote Ethnological notes on the Aboriginal tribes of New South Wales and Victoria).

The front 3 pages of the notebook contain entries regarding 'Queries of the Yualarai' [Yuwaalaraay] - bullroarer, Baiame's wife, stars winds and other topics. They are followed by blank pages until they meet the rear content.

Many places are cited however,they relate to the named individuals and language groups frequently described, e.g. Culgoa and Warrego Rivers near Queensland Border, Hungerford, Eulo, Yantabulla, Coonamble, Angledool, and Walgett. Special mention is made from the rear main section for the description of a Bora Ground near Pilliga; Yanta (Yantabulla) Spirits who made the water holes; and, the imprint in stone of hand and foot of Baiame. There is a loose sheet of paper with the Barwon Hotel (Brewarrina) letterhead which has Wongaibon kinship terms on the one side.

[Peter Sutton notes all of it is from the area west of the Great Divide.]

Mathews, RH (Robert Hamilton) (1905), Ethnological notes on the Aboriginal tribes of New South Wales and Victoria https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-279913496/view?partId=nla.obj-279934031#page/n2/mode/1up  Accessed 29/01/2024.