Wadjigu people

Aboriginal peoples of central-Eastern Queensland

The Wadjiga people, also known as Wadja, Maudalgo, Wadjainggo, and other variants, were an Aboriginal Australian people of inland eastern Queensland.

Country

Wadja tribal lands covered some 8,500 square kilometres (3,300 sq mi) along the streams flowing along the eastern side of the Expedition Range. Their southern boundaries reached as far as Bigge Range. To the east they ran to the vicinity of the Dawson River.[1] They were the Indigenous inhabitants of Woorabinda.[1]

History

According to traditional lore, the Wadjiga arose from a confluence of two distinct tribes, namely the Wainjigo and the Wadja. Long cohabitation over the same tribal grounds led to the effective amalgamation of their separate identities and customs.[1] Norman Tindale

Language

Main article: Wadjigu language

The Wajigu language is a dialect of the Bidjara language group.[2]

Alternative names

  • Wainjago, Wainjigo
  • Wadjainggo
  • Wainggo[1]
  • Wadju, Maudalgo, Wadjainggo, Waindjago, Wainggo, Wainjago, Wainjigo, Wadya[2]

Notes

Citations

  1. ^ a b c d Tindale 1974, p. 186.
  2. ^ a b E39 Wadjiga at the Australian Indigenous Languages Database, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies

Sources

  • McIntosh, Peter (1887). "Eastern slopes of Expedition Range, Lower Dawson, Upper Fitzroy, MacKenzie and Isaacs rivers, and many of their tributaries." (PDF). In Curr, Edward Micklethwaite (ed.). The Australian race: its origin, languages, customs, place of landing in Australia and the routes by which it spread itself over the continent. Vol. 3. Melbourne: J. Ferres. pp. 58–62.
  • Tindale, Norman Barnett (1974). "Wadja (QLD)". Aboriginal Tribes of Australia: Their Terrain, Environmental Controls, Distribution, Limits, and Proper Names. Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-708-10741-6.