Before European settlement, the Wurundjeri-willam people lived on the land that now forms the City of Whittlesea and the northern suburbs of Melbourne. They lived on the offshoots of the Yarra River - along the Merri, Edgars and Darebin Creeks - the Plenty River and the Maribyrnong River.
There are now between 1,000 and 1,500 Wurundjeri-willam people living in Victoria.
In the Woi wurrung language the clan’s name is derived from the words:
- wurun, meaning river red gum and manna gum
- djeri, the grubs found in the river red gums and eaten by the Wurundjeri people
- willam, shelter/living place.
Many of the names in the City of Whittlesea were inspired by the Wurundjeri culture and traditions and the Woi wurrung language. These include:
Bundoora
Bundoora is derived from Keelbundoora; the name of a young boy present at the signing of the Batman Treaty.
Yan Yean
The name Yan Yean comes from the term yan yan, meaning young boy.
Mernda
The name Mernda comes from the wordmurnmurndik, which means young girl.
Wollert
The name of the suburb of Wollert comes from walert, the local word for possum.
Merri
In local language Merri means place of many rocks.
Wallan
The place name Wallan comes from the local word walen-walen, meaning spherical or round.
Woi wurrung language
The Wurundjeri-willam clan speak the Woi wurrung language. The Woi wurrung is one of the many language groups that make up the Kulin nation, whose people shared the same religion and language and lived in what is now metropolitan and greater Melbourne.
Connection to land
The Wurundjeri-willam people have a strong connection to the land now known as the City of Whittlesea. They travelled the area in search of resources including fresh water, food and shelter. The Plenty River and the area’s many creeks offered various types of fish and birdlife. The clan held cultural ceremonies and conducted business and trade negotiations at sacred sites. More than 70 of these sites still exist in the City today, as well as many sacred ‘scarred’ trees.
Moiety
Some Aboriginal clans believe that they are represented by native animals or a ‘moiety’ system. The people of the Kulin nation are both Waang (the Australian raven) and Bunjil (wedge-tail eagle) people.
Under Wurundjeri clan law, marriage could only be between different moieties. This meant a Bunjil man could only marry a Waang woman, and a Waang man could only marry a Bunjil woman.
For more information about the Wurundjeri-willam clan and the Wurundjeri people of Victoria, contact the following organisations.
Source: The information above about Wurundjeri language was provided by Ian Hunter, member of the local Wurundjeri tribe, 2002.