124 ON THE ORGANISATION OF AUSTRALIAN TRIBES. 
Having now dealt with individual marriage, I turn to the consideration of group 
marriage. 
I have omitted speaking of marriage in the Dieri tribe for the reason that it 
seemed to be advisable to discuss the individual and group marriage of that tribe 
together. 
Betrothal was the most common means by which a girl became a wife, and the 
relation of individual marriage was called in this tribe Noa. A woman was thus the 
Noa of some particular man, who was also her Noa, but while she was restricted to 
one individual husband, he was not so restricted, but might have several Noas. 
In the Dieri tribe there is, in addition to the Noa or individual marriage, also 
that which I have called Pirauru or group marriage, from the word in the Dieri language 
which defined the practice which I am now about to describe. This practice, which 
has been long known to the white settlers under the name of ‘‘ paramour,” is not 
confined to the Dieri tribe, but also obtains in those surrounding it, and the instances 
which I shall give extend for at least a distance of one thousand miles, east and west 
—how much further I know not. 
The Pirauru relation is created, not by the gift or exchange of the women or by 
the consent of the parties to it, but by the action of the council of old men 
immediately before the day fixed for the rite of circumcision. After consultation 
certain men and certain women are allotted to each other as Pirauru, and their names 
are announced to the assembled tribe by the Headman (Pinnaru). A couple can 
only be Pirauru to each other who are of such class name as would permit of 
marriage. Persons who have thus become Pirauru are henceforward in that state 
towards each other, so that a man or woman may, after successive ceremonies have 
been held, become the Pirauru of a number of women or of men. The relation may 
exist between members of an adjoining tribe. Thus, as Mr. Gason says, the principal 
Headman of the Dieri, Jalina, whom I have elsewhere mentioned,* was the Pirauru, 
not only of a number of Dieri women, but also of women of adjoining tribes, and his 
own wives (Noa) were similarly the Piraurus of Headmen in them. The following 
precis of facts, as drawn up from Mr. Gason’s statements to me, and since revised by 
him, will show clearly the relation of the Pirauru and Noa marriages to each other. 
Each Dieri man or woman is the Pirauru of one or more women or men. The 
relation of Pirauru may exist between men and women of different local divisions of 
the same tribe (e.g., Dieri), or of different tribes (e.g., Dieri and Yantruwunta).t But 
it may not exist between persons who stand to each other in the relation of father, 
father’s brother, father’s sister, mother, mother’s brother, mother’s sister, brother’s 
* See p. 108. 
+ This tribe lived at Cooper’s Creek, about the Queensland boundary. 
