Land Of The Gubbi Gubbi

Cultural Diversity Report вЂ" Land of the Gubbi Gubbi

The aim of this paper is to research, analyse and assess available information regarding the Sunshine Coast Indigenous Gubbi Gubbi nation, in particular, the ease of access to information; the currency and scope of available information; and to develop a conclusion regarding the validity of examined resources.

Background

The traditional landowners of the Sunshine Coast are the people of the Gubbi Gubbi nation. Gubbi Gubbi is the language that united 20 clans, which each consisted of between 150 and 500 people. The most prominent of these clans were the Nalbo, Dallambara, Kabi and Undanbi. Their estate, or dyungungoo, extend from Pine River at the southern boundary, to Burrum River at the north, and the Conondale ranges in the west (Indigenous History of Maroochy, n.d.). This expanse allowed for groups to travel following seasonal availability of plant and aquatic food sources.

Culture

Gubbi Gubbi society was deeply generous and gregarious. Clans would gather regularly to feast and celebrate special ceremonies such as initiations, marriages and festivals. The most significant of these was the Bunya gathering held every three years in the Bunya Mountains to celebrate the fruiting of the sacred Bunya trees. A smaller yearly gathering was held on the Blackall Range in the area now known as Baroon Pocket Dam (Kerkhove, 1986).

The land was the fundamental basis for spiritual, cultural and physical life; the spirits of ancestors were believed to co-exist on earth in the form of animals, plant, marine and rock formations. This ensured their connection with current and future generations. Each clan had their own ancestral totem to which they would be appointed as custodians. Totemic guardianship rights were passed on from generation to generation (Adams, 2000).

Authority within a clan was attained due to the strength of one’s relationship with the land and sea. An Elder’s intimate, intrinsic knowledge regarding the biological and ecological systems of their environment and its history was essential to ensure the protection of the land and sea, and all that inhabited it. For this reason, an Elder’s authority was accepted without question.

Protection of land and aquatic ecosystems was managed via an intricate network of rights - including land occupation, seasonal harvesting, marine resource restrictions - and responsibilities based on customary laws. These systems and strategies ensured sustainable use of resources and served to protect land and sea from overexploitation (Native Title Report, 2006, 18).

History

The arrival of European settlers on the Sunshine Coast initially caused little disruption to the Gubbi Gubbi lifestyle. However, once permanent land was sought for further settlement, the traditional lifestyle of the Gubbi Gubbi began to suffer. Government policy of the day prevented land immediately occupied by Indigenous Australians from being made available to settlers for lease or logging (Tainton 1976). Due to the fertile and expansive nature of the land, this presented a problem to emigrating Europeans hoping to secure a new life in the area.

Furthermore, the disturbance to the natural environment on which the Gubbi Gubbi relied for food, shelter and spiritual needs quickly created tension between the European and Indigenous Australians. As land was cleared for farming and resources, the Gubbi Gubbi were forced to hunt introduced farming animals and take agricultural crops as their food sources were depleted. The ensuing conflict resulted in violence, massacre and finally, the forceful removal of the Gubbi Gubbi . While there are no official records, very few are said to have survived (Davies & Salmon 1995).

In 1877, a number of Indigenous �settlements’ were established in South East Queensland to which remaining Indigenous families were transported �for their own protection’. The Gubbi Gubbi were relocated, many at gunpoint, to reserves in Barambah (Cherbourg), Murgen, Stradbroke Island, Taroom in Central Queensland, and Purga near Ipswich (Adams 2000). The dispersal of families was intended to break their existence as a cohesive community. In the case of Barambah, a total embargo was placed upon the use of their traditional languages (Adams 2000). Upon release from incarceration 25 years later, Gubbi Gubbi people returned to their traditional homeland only to themselves displaced and dispossessed without compensation.

Gubbi Gubbi Culture in the 21st Century

As a personal observation growing up on the Sunshine Coast; 150 years after Gubbi Gubbi dispossession, there is little physical evidence left of the Indigenous Australians who once inhabited the area. However, considerable efforts have been made in recent years to retain and preserve the traditional cultural and spiritual beliefs and practices and to encourage genuine engagement with communities in the form of developing and implementing policies. One of the most important milestones so far is the Federal Court of Australia’s legal recognition of the Gubbi Gubbi people as the Traditional Owners of the Sunshine Coast Area. The following, provides a brief of outline of current Gubbi Gubbi Associations and Organisations and Groups operating on the Sunshine Coast.

The Gubbi Gubbi Land and Cultural Association

The Association was developed to provide representation for Gubbi Gubbi people who still maintain traditional land and culture ideals. In 1998, 450 acres of land was purchased 450 in Diamond Valley, Mooloolah, with allocated funds from the Indigenous Land Corporation. The property is of sacred value, as it accommodates several burial caves and considerable sections of untouched sacred forest.

The Gubbi Gubbi Land Council

The Council was setup to represent local Gubbi Gubbi people in the area of natural resource management within their traditional lands. The Council collaborates with the Forestry Department on land and natural resource management issues.

Obi Obi Parklands - Bunya Forest and Ceremonial Area

A cultural heritage resource and educational centre is to be established in Maleny to preserve and promote Indigenous cultural heritage. In addition, due to the loss of the traditional Bunya festival site which was dammed in 1998, a 3.5 ha site bordered by the Obi Obi Creek has been earmarked for the restoration