Wurundjeri (VIC)

LocationYarra and Saltwater rivers; at Melbourne; north to Mount Disappointment, northwest to Macedon, Woodend, and Lancefield, east to Mount Bawbaw; at Healesville; south only to near Mordialloc, Warragul, and Moe. According to Howitt (1889), the tribal name is an ecological one based on the name of the white gum (Eucalyptus viminalis). Seven hordes or clans were referred to by Stewart in a document dated 10 June 1836, but the names seemingly were not mentioned again. Mount Macedon people were a little different and generally camped apart from members of the eastern hordes of the tribe.
Co-ordinates145°25'E x 37°40'S
Area4,800 sq. m. (12,500 sq. km.)
ReferencesBaylie, 1843; La Trobe, 1844; Parker, 1844; Byrne, 1848; Bunce, 1851, 1856; Thomas, 1839 MS, 1854, 1862 MS; Lloyd, 1862; Bunce in Smyth, 1878; Green in Smyth, 1878; Smyth, 1878; Green, 1879; Stewart in Bonwick, 1883; Howitt, 1884, 1885, 1889, 1904; Curr, 1886, 1887; Thomas in Bride, 1898; Mathews, 1902 (Gr. 6401), 1903 (Gr. 6514), 1904 (Gr. 6451); Giglioli, 1911; Mathew, 1911; Massola, 1960, 1968; Morgan, 1967.
Alternative NamesWurunjeri, Wurunjerri, Urunjeri, Wurunjerri-baluk, Wurrundyirra-baluk, Wurrunjeri, Oorongie (where g is to be taken as dj), Woiworung (language name, a valid alternative; woi = worung = speech), Woiwurung, Woiwurong, Woiwurrong, Woiwurru (['woi] = no, ['wur:u] = lip), Woeworung, Wooeewoorong, Warorong, Warerong, Wairwaioo, Wawoorong, Wawoorong, Warwaroo, Waarengbadawa, Wainworra, Wowerong, Wawurong, Wawurrong, Wavoorong, Gungung-willam, Ngarukwillam, Kukuruk (name of a northern horde), Mort Noular (language name), Coraloon (corrupt spelling?), Yarra Yarra (Europeanized false name of principal river, the Beireirung, based on misreading of a misinterpretation of an exclamation, 'jan:a, 'it flows'), Yarra Yarra Coolies (kulin = man), Yarra, N' uther Galla, Nuthergalla (['ngatha] = ['juða] = no, Melbourne dialect).