Ngalia (NT)

LocationNorth of Stuart Bluff Range from West Bluff west to Mounts Cockburn and Carey; about Ethel Creek, Mounts Farewell and Singleton; at Mounts Saxby and Doreen ['Jarungkanji], Cockatoo Creek, Treuer Range, and Mount Davenport; also at Vaughan Springs ['Pikilji]. Their visits to Winbaruku were by trespass in Jumu territory perhaps reflecting an older tribal disposition. Until after 1931 they had a four-class social organization but later changed to the system of the Walpiri with whom they mixed after that time; not to be confused with the Ngalea of western South Australia who are a separate tribal group with a social organization devoid of class terms. C. Berndt (1965:255) implies people having this name (given as Ngalia on one line and Nalia on another) were active at Warburton Range in February 1959. She also writes of Rawlinson Range Ngalia woman and of a Ngalia country east and southeast of Balgo; my own studies, devoted directly to tribal differentiation, give the impression she was not interested in seeking tribal data and that her terms may have some other connotation. Since ['ngalja] means 'here' there is maybe a chance of error in interpretation. These people were studied by the Adelaide University party at ['Aknatalja] on Cockatoo Creek in 1931 and some of the same individuals at Mount Liebig a year later (see two series of published 16 mm. cine films).
Co-ordinates131°0'E x 22°15'S
Area11,200 sq. m. (29,100 sq. km.)
ReferencesC. Strehlow, 1910; Tindale, 1931, 1932 MS, 1933, 1940, 1946, 1951 MS, 1956 MS, 1956, 1963; Roheim, 1933; Fry, 1934; T. Strehlow, 1947, 1965; Abbie and Adey, 1953; Birdsell, 1954; Cleland and Tindale, 1954; Tindale and Lindsay, 1963; C. Berndt, 1965; Mountford, 1968.
Alternative NamesNgalea, Ngallia, Nanbuda, Ngarilia (typographical error), Ngali, Njalia (a blunder), Wawilja (of the Walpiri), Warniaka (name given as an alternative by a part Ngalia-Walpiri man), Waneiga (of other tribes), Nambulatji (of Kokatja at Balgo), Jalpiri (speech term).
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