Wirangu (SA)

LocationCoast between Head of Bight (White Well), Cape Blanche, and Streaky Bay; inland to Ooldea, Kokatha, and Kondoolka. In earliest historic times they were contracting their boundaries southward before Kokata people. Their earliest remembered boundary is shown. By 1850 they had lost access to the area north of latitude 31 °. A native water at Putjukai (132°36'E x 30°27'S) is still remembered as a Wirangu water once well within their territory. Pi:la at Lake Bring also was in their traditions a Wirangu water. Ooldea was the dominant drought relief water used by all surrounding tribes within a radius of 200 miles (over 300 km.).
Co-ordinates133°35'E x 31°35'S
Area21,500 sq. m. (55,900 sq. km.)
ReferencesProvis in Taplin, 1879; Richards in Taplin, 1879; East, 1889; Mathews, 1900 (Gr. 6448); Howitt, 1904; Stirling, 1914; Black, 1917; Bates, 1918; Sullivan, 1928; Tindale, 1928 MS, 1934 MS, 1940 and MS; Cleland, 1929; Elkin, 1931; Black, 1933; Berndt and Berndt, 1942, 1946; Tindale in Condon, 1955; Platt, 1970.
Alternative NamesWirrongu, Wirrung, Wirrunga, Wirangga, Naljara (Kokata name), Wanbiri ('sea coast' [people] of the Kokata), Jilbara (means 'southerners,' name applied by Kokata), Windakan (name applied also to the language of the Ngalea), Wangon (said to be language name but is derogatory, ['kona] = feces; one area of their country with yellowish soil is called Tjara which has a similar meaning), Ngoleiadjara (name applied by Jangkundjara), Tidni and Hilleri (names applied by Pangkala and Kujani), Tidnie, Titnie, Willeuroo (name said given by Pangkala: Wiljaru = west), Yilrea (another version of Hilleri), Nonga (means 'man').
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