The Gulidjan
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The Gulidjan are the people of the grasslands, woodlands, volcanic plains and lakes region east of Lake Corangamite, west of the Barwon River and north of the Otway Ranges.
The lands of the Gulidjan
The numbers on this map indicate the approximate locations of clan
estates.
The entire landscape was a mosaic of such estates. Through
intermarriage
and other alliances people were able to access land and
resources far beyond
their own estates. Access to land and resources
was negotiated through discussion,
marriage, ceremony and adherence
to law.
It is possible that there were more clans than listed here.
This map is derived from Clark (1990)
No. |
Clan name |
Approximate location |
Alternative names and name spellings
Colijan, Kolac Gnat (meaning belonging to sand), Colagdians
Language
About a hundred words of the Gulidjan language are known from five sources written during the time of settlement. The Gulidjan and the Wada Wurrung were able to understand each other to a degree but their languages were substantially different. It has been suggested that the language was a mixture of surrounding languages but was none-the-less quite distinct.
Relationships with other language groups
The Gulidjan intermarried with both the Djargurd Wurrung and Wada Wurrung.
Beliefs and laws
The Gulidjan clans each belonged to one of the moieties Gabadj (Black Cockatoo) or Guragidj (White Cockatoo). These were inherited matrilineally (a persons moiety was inherited from their mother). Marriage partners by law had to be of different moieties.
Although having a different moiety system, the Gulidjan intermarried with the patrilineal clans of the Wada Wurrung.
Way of life
It was reported that families of the Gulidjan (or at least those of the Gulidjan Balug clan) each had their own portion of Lake Colac frontage. Large areas of the plains were ephemeral wetlands interspersed with lakes which would have supplied plentiful game, fish and edible aquatic plants. Much of the Gulidjan lands were native grasslands with a diverse wildflowers flora. These were rich with Murnong and other herbs with edible tuberous roots. To the south and east the Barwon River and Gellibrand River, flowing from the Otways, supplied fish and fresh water clams. Open woodlands o the Otway Plains to the south would have supplied game such as wallaby and possum.
The park at the centre of the present day township of Colac was a wetland that was is known to have been a much used camping area.
Bibliography
>> Aboriginal Languages and Clans: An historical atlas of western and central Victoria
Ian D. Clark (1990)
A research publication based on evidence found in official archives and other written records.
(Does not include oral history from Victorian Koorie communities.)
>> Aboriginal Victorians: A history since 1800
Richard Broome (2005)
Allen & Unwin“The first history of black-white interaction in Victoria to the present, Aboriginal Australians offers new insights into the frontier conflict, attempts at control and assimilation, the Stolen Generation and Aboriginal survival and identity in modern Australia.”
>> Australian Aborigines: The languages and customs of several tribes of Aborigines in the Western District of Victoria, Australia.
James Dawson (1881)
Reprinted as a facsimile edition in 1981 by the Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies.
From the introduction to the reprint: “Among the nineteenth century pioneers of the Western District of Victoria, James Dawson was outstanding. He was well known as a friend and protector of the Aborigines ... was greatly interested in Aboriginal Culture, strongly committed to speaking out about justice to the Aborigines, and had respect for the Aborigines and their culture.”
>> The Life and Adventures of William Buckley
A. MacDougall (1852)
The original account of the life of William Buckley - an English convict who escaped from an early Port Phillip convict settlement and lived for thirty years with the Wada Wurrung of central south west Victoria