Indigenous heritage - Goulburn districts [vertical file]

Indigenous heritage relating to the first nations people of the Goulburn region has been the subject of wide reporting ever since Europeans first explored the area in the early 1800s. Before white settlement, the confluence of the Mulwaree and Wollondilly rivers was a crossroads for Aboriginal peoples. In the later geographical area labelled the Argyle County, major tribes of the region were reported as including the Gandangara or Gundungurra to the north, Ngunawal to the south, and Wiradjuri to the west. From early European explorers came discussion of burial practices, corroborees, and carved trees. In more recent years, the Pejar Local Aboriginal Land Council and the Mulwaree Aboriginal Community, alongside governments at various levels, have sought to discover, preserve and highlight the cultures and historical sites of local Aboriginal communities.

Envelope contains:

* Short bibliography of sources in Goulburn Library collections.

* Various historical articles relating to research into Aborigines of southern NSW and Goulburn districts, including: "Geological and ethnological observations made in the valley of the Wollondilly river at its junction with the Nattai River, counties Camden and Westmoreland" by R Etheridge, Feb 1893; "Burial trees" by Lindsay Black, 1941; "Sketches of New South Wales: written and illustrated for The Saturday Magazine in 1836-37" by William Romaine Govett, 1977; "Aboriginal genealogy" by Paul Behrendt, 1989; "Aborigines of the Goulburn Region" and "Billy Blue" comprising excerpts from exhibition held in Goulburn Library, undated; "Carved trees: aboriginal cultures of western NSW" from exhibition at NSW State Library, 2011.

* Promotional brochure: "Pejar Local Aboriginal Land Council", undated, re description, aims, and activities of the Pejar LALC.

* Newspaper articles and clippings, including: "The first Australians", from The Weekend Australian Magazine, 1979; "Aborigines honoured by our early settlers" by Stephen Tazewell from Goulburn Post, 1990; "Local Aboriginal sites identified" by Ian Frazer from Goulburn Post, 1993; "Plains Aborigines gathered at farms at Christmas time" by Ian Frazer from Goulburn Post, 1993; "About the land" from Sun-Herald, 1993 re the Bogong moth; "Local native title claim" from Crookwell Gazette, 2001; Mural depicts rich history of town" from Goulburn Post, 2020; "Rhythm of the river sustains Goulburn" by John Thistleton from The RiotACT, 2021; "Significant Aboriginal site found on Bungendore farm" by Finbar O'Mallon from Canberra Times, 2021; "Goulburn voices call for Aboriginal heritage protection in Forbes Street DA" by Louise Thrower from Goulburn Post, 2022; "Developer withdraws proposal for Forbes Street, Goulburn subdivision" by Louise Thrower from Goulburn Post, 2022; "Hopes that Lynwood Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Centre will provide 'fillip' for Marulan tourism" by Dominic Unwin from Goulburn Post, 2022.

* Copy of a map (poor quality): "Language group boundaries in Australia", unsourced, undated.

* Extract from 'Aboriginal Tribes of Australia' by Norman B. Tindale, ANU Press, Canberra, 1974, pp. 193, 198, 201.

* Goulburn Post article "Ngunnawal Goulburn Woman Jennie Gordon advocates Voice to Parliament" 11/01/2023.

*James McDonald, "Canberra and the Frontier Wars", Journal of the Royal Australian Historical Society, Vol. 108, Part 1, June 2022, pg. 28-49.

* Goulburn Post article, "New Aboriginal Health Centre helps 'close the gap' at hospital", Louise Thrower, 7/7/2024.

* NSW Govt. Media Release, "New Goulburn Aboriginal Health Centre opens to support reconciliation and wellbeing", Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Treaty, 5/7/2024.

* About Regional article, "Broader area of protection for Lansdowne's Aboriginal sites", John Thistleton, 18/09/2024.

*Goulburn Post article, "Mulwaree reconciliation walk honours Country and community", 5/06/2025.

* 'First Nations History', website information from The National Museum of Australia's Springfield Collection, accessed 17/6/2025.