Bangerang People are the People of the Tall Trees. Our Country encompasses the North East of Victoria, and Southern Riverina Murray region of New South Wales from the Campaspe River in the west, to the Ovens River in the east.
The Bangerang People are a Nation of people who have been the Custodians of our Country since time began. Majority of the Bangerang Clan groups include the name of their particular part of Country and include the suffix ‘duban’ or ‘ban’ signifying they belong to the Bangerang Nation.
The Clans of the Bangerang Nation include:
Moiraduban
The Moiraduban Clan group belong to the Country and lakes known as Moira, meaning ‘place of reeds’. Their Country encompasses the Moira lakes area and the Murray Valley National Park, including the town of Mathoura and surrounding area.
Wallithiga
Wallithiga means ‘meeting of the waters’. The Wallithiga Clan belong to the Country at the junction of the Dunggula (Murray), Kaiyala (Goulburn) and Yakoa (Campaspe) rivers. Their Country encompasses the towns of Echuca, Moama and the surrounding area.
Kaiyalduban
The Kaiyalduban Clan are the people of Kaiyala, the Goulburn River. ‘Kaiyala’ meaning ‘father of the waters’. Their Country stretches from Tongala to Toolamba, encompassing the towns of Shepparton, Mooroopna and the surrounding area.
Wongatban
The Country of the Wongatban Clan is an area known as Wongat, which is at the junction of the Dunggula (Murray River) and Baala (Broken Creek). Today it is a part of the Barmah National Park.
Dulinyagan
The Dulinyagan Clan belong to the Country surrounding Ulupna Island and Strathmerton, on the Victorian side of the Murray River.
Dorunban
The Dorunban Clan are the people of Doru, which is the name of a sandhill shortly downstream of the town of Barmah. Their Country encompasses this area.
Bikolatban
The Bikolatban Clan belong to the Country surrounding the Tocumwal and Barooga area on the New South Wales side of the Murray River.
Bungatban
The Bungatban Clan belong to the Country surrounding the Yielima and Yalca area, including part of the Barmah National Park.
Ngarrimoro
The Country of the Ngarrimoro Clan lies between the Moiraduban and Bikolatban Clans on the New South Wales side of the Murray River.
Yanguduban
The Yanguduban Clan belong to the Country including the towns of Cobram, Koonoomoo, Yarroweyah and the surrounding area both sides of the Murray River.
Bangerang traditional boundaries also included the Southern parts of the Riverina in NSW.
This Country page may hold conflicting information with other pages. We understand this but recognise that the information provided to us is true to the knowledge of the community members who helped developed this page.
Men’s & Women's business
Initiation is an important part of growing up in our community. Both the women and the men had to go through their own initiation process. Initiation is like school; there are different stages through which our mob to pass through in order to grow and learn. Each stage included lessons on how to survive, how to hunt, where to collect food, how to collect food, when to collect certain types of food, what plants or animals you weren’t allowed to eat, what you could and couldn’t do, who you could and couldn’t marry and to learn about our cultural lore.
Initiation is also about discovering your own individual talents and abilities. Not everyone is an artist, not everyone is a song and dance person. Through the process of initiation, you have the opportunity to learn more about yourself, your own talents and abilities, and what your role is within community.
“If you didn’t go through initiation then you couldn’t survive and if you didn’t survive, you’d perish” ~ Uncle Rex Atkinson (Moiraduban Clan, Bangerang Nation)
Damanmu Bangerang Dance Group perform the 'Hunting Dance'. Source: Always Was, Always Will Be, Bpangerang Country Facebook
Ceremony
“Ceremony was like going to school; it was where you learnt your lore”.
The audio clip below explains the cultural significance of Corroboree and how this supports a young person in their own growth and development.
Supplied by the Bangerang Cultural Centre.
Hunting Dance
Burrmanga (Murray Cod). Artwork by Clarissa Atkinson (Moiraduban Clan, Bangerang Nation)