[Proc. Roy. Soc. Victoria. 23 (N.S.), Pt. II., 1911.] 



Akt. XXXIV. — The Aborigines of Lake Boga, Victoria. 

 By a. C. stone. 



[Read December, 1910.] 

 (Communicated by Professor W. Baldwin Spencer). 



The following pages contain matters relating to the manners 

 and customs of the above interesting tribe gathered by me 

 during a residence of over eighteen years. 



When I took up my i-esidence at Lake Boga, no mallee had 

 either been cut or rolled down, and the Murray fiats were but 

 very sparsely occupied, but I was immediately struck with the 

 local evidences of a one-time large population of aboriginals, 

 and I determined as far as it lay in my power to collect all the 

 information I could first hand, as I was, unfortunately, forced 

 to the conclusion that if it was not done then it would be 

 impossible later on, in consequence of the ravages of the fell 

 destroyer. At that period there were very few full bloods in 

 the district. The last full-blood of the Lake Boga tribe was 

 Hamilton Orr (" Nyarramin " — Worker in pine resin), the son 

 of Booratchwornin (I won't listen to you), who was the son of 

 Laremburnin (Pectoral Rail), the last real headman or chief, 

 nho died about 1830-40. He lies buried in the north-west 

 bank of Lake Boga, and I have, fortunately, obtained what I 

 believe to be his flint tomahawk, which was found buried with 

 him. The last wizard or doctor (Barngnull) was named 

 Cowanderning (creeping), and I have some of his charms, or 

 magic stones of office. Hamilton Orr (Nyarramin) was, unfor- 

 tunately, drowned in the lake owing to his boat being capsized 

 by a sudden squall on March 7th, LS96. His body now lies 

 at rest in the Lake Boga Cemetery. The expenses of his 

 funeral were met by volvmtary contributions, and I had the 

 melancholy satisfaction of uttering his funeral oration. 



The Lake Boga tribe was known as the " Gourrmjanyuk " 

 (along edge of trees), a distinct section of the " Gnarryboluk " 

 nation, which included several Mallee sections or tribes, and 

 spoke a dialect called Wamba (No). The chief camping-ground 

 of the Gourrmjanyuk tribe was around Boga township 



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