Taungurung Winganggath

Taungurung Culture

Location: Merton

Images: Relevant plants, artefacts

Content:

We welcome you to Taungurung Country and invite you to celebrate the history and culture of the Taungurung Nation – the first people of the rivers and mountains

Taungurung creation stories, tools, artefacts, baskets, kinship, weaving, songs, language and dance are all important elements that together form a rich cultural identity for the Taungurung people. Stone artefacts can be found right along the Goulburn River and its tributaries, and the Merton area is no exception. Artefacts are important elements that tell the story of traditional ways of life of our Ancestors as they moved across the landscape. Artefacts can reveal sites where stone tools were carved, clothing was made, shelters were constructed, camps had been, and meals were eaten.

The Merton area was a great camp site for our Ancestors due to the abundance of plant life. The tubers of Djimba wendarri (chocolate lilies) Barrm (Bulbine bulbosa) and Yam Daisies (mirnong) would have been eaten by our ancestors. The nearby billabongs also provided food in the form of the starchy roots of the water ribbons and cumbungi, as well as reeds which could be woven into baskets.

Connect with us to learn more: www.taungurung.com.au