Aboriginal Perspectives

Just as Australia is among the most ancient of lands (Gondwana), the first Aboriginal inhabitants (Kooris) and their culture are acknowledged as among the oldest in the world. Archaeological discoveries and modern scientific dating techniques have shown Aboriginal occupation to be around one hundred and twenty thousand years, but scientists believe the actual time is still unknown. New discoveries ensure this time frame continues to be amended.

As the worlds oldest known culture, a comprehensive Koori history is still not available to us today. The information is incomplete, vague and often conflicting, having originated from poorly informed early settlers, the later work of scientists and from a fragmented oral history, culture and folklore passed on by Koori elders.
The rediscovery of their culture and the encouragement that cultural reconciliation provides has renewed the interest of indigenous and non-indigenous people in tribal language (Kattang) ceremonies, dance, art, significant and sacred places and artefacts.
 
A stranded paperbark tree marks time on the sands of Tilligerry Creek.
 
Very recent discoveries of Koori habitation (campfire remains, artefacts and implements) have been dated at 14,750 years old at Medowie (1993) and at 7,500 years old at Anna Bay (1976). A large shell midden (1,240 years old) may still be seen in Fitzroy Street, Anna Bay amid the local urban settlement.

The first inhabitants of Port Stephens, the Worimi (approximately five hundred) and Wonarua peoples, led an idyllic and carefree lifestyle. The productive rivers of their territories, the hundred square kilometres of the Port Stephens estuary and the waters of the coast teemed with fish and other prized delicacies of a diverse and abundant marine life. The brolga crane once danced upon these sandy shores, with the black-necked stork (jabiru) wading the wetland shallows, and the emu roaming, sharing grass and bushlands with the kangaroo and wallaby.

Being hunter-gatherers, the Kooris of Port Stephens led a happy and healthy lifestyle before the arrival of Europeans; food sources were diverse and usually abundant. Excellent water sources were generally always in the vicinity.

For the Worimi, coastal people, fishing, spearing, gathering, trapping, diving for food were all part of their daily lives. They were acknowledged to be of athletic and imposing stature. Their frail but serviceable bark canoes could hold two people. Freshly caught fish were usually cooked on a fire on a rock or a mound of clay and eaten immediately.

Early European writers testify to the health and serenity of their surroundings as they describe canoes on the calm, blue-green waters of Port Stephens in the early morning and late afternoon, with thin wisps of smoke rising into the still air as the fishers patiently anticipated the approaching catch and another fresh meal. Women made the fishing lines from the bark of the young kurrajong tree. These lines were capable of landing the largest of fish.

Many native animals were tamed as pets for Koori children, who enjoyed the freedom of the natural lifestyle and were never physically punished for any misdemeanour. Music, song, dance, story-telling, and any reason for socialising, were all essential in the lives of people forever ready for fun and laughter. While each nurra (clan/sub-tribe) of the Worimi people had their own territory, they interacted, traded, socialised at corroborees and ceremonies and inter-married.

West of the Williams and Paterson Rivers, the Wonarua people hunted kangaroo and wallaby and gathered food for their daily needs, undisturbed until the intrusion of cedar cutters (1816). The early settlers then began the process of taking traditional Aboriginal land.

Their Worimi neighbours to the east had already experienced the ways of new arrivals (1790-95) and alerted the Wonarua people, who also began a long and bitter fight in defence of their traditional hunting grounds and homelands. Worimi resistance to the cedar cutters and settlers increased particularly from about 1840. Dawly of the Buraigal nurra at Karuah led resistance there and was said to be unreconcilable to the newcomers.