Turrbal People

Turrbal people were a tribe of Indigenous people who lived in Brisbane before the Europeans settled in Australia.  They occupied the land from far inland as Gold Creek or Moggill, as far north as North Pine, and as far south as to the Logan River.  The Turrbal people were the Traditional Owners of Meanjin which means Brisbane.  Turrbal people were known as fishing people because they had access to waterways and could feed themselves by catching fish and other estuarine creatures and native plants.  There were also plenty of resources available in the area for making traditional medicines, tools and shelter, as well as to hunt and gather different local bush foods and animals.  The land provided a rich and vibrant social and cultural world centered around the land and its resources.  They had a great relationship with their country, its features, flora, fauna and seasons, as well as a strong cultural traditional and spiritual connection to the land and its resources.  As the number of Europeans grew the Indigenous people had to make some horrible choices, either leave their traditional lands or survive on the fringe of this new society.  Many Turrbal people were killed by guns or disease such as smallpox.  There was much conflict and many were forced to live in reserves.  Despite the effects of disease, violence, loss of hunting grounds and sacred sites, the Turrbal people have finally been officially recognised as the traditional owners of the land through Native Title. They are an important part of Ashgrove because their foot tracks laid the path to some of the major roads though Ashgrove as well they are the first people to step foot on the Ashgrove land.

Turrbal Association Inc. & Ningy Ningy Cultural Heritage Association. (No Date). Turrbal People. Retrieved from Daki Budtcha Records: http://www.dakibudtcha.com.au/turrbal_history.htm

Cahir, S. (2002). Traditional Technologies. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Hodge, R. (2005). Australia Focus Aboriginal Australia. Carlton, Victoria: Binara Publishing Pty Ltd.

Holland, E., Watson, D., Davies, T., Holland, N., Hunt, N., & Miller, J. &. (2009). Living with the Land: Bush Tucker and Medicine of the Ngaanyatjarra Lands. Port Melbourne, Victoria: Pearson Australia.