Aboriginal Relics on the Mornington Peninsula 



by A. K. Sl-ll I an i 



lIllllHlMII.IIC hv lllllllll) 



I 'he Moiuiuglon Peninsula consists 

 nl an aica of about SOB square miles, 



mads up irtnifil} tit ycniiv undulating 



land, die highest peak of which is 

 Arthur's Seal (1,(HI feel I situated at 

 Oromana Geologically, the Pensinula 

 is very interesting, as it contains 



main ot the geological formations 



found in Victoria I he base ivck is 

 Ordiviciaii and Silurian 'I he climate 

 is quite temperate, with an annual 

 rainfall of about 2S inches 



Matthew Flinders was one of the 

 first explorers to lind evidence of 

 Aborigines on the Peninsula In 1X02 

 he entered Port Phillip Hay, and 

 in the course vd his investigations 

 climbed Arthur's Seat: and at the 

 summit noticed deserted camp fires 

 and heaps ol oyster shells which had 

 been left by the natives. Looking lo 

 wards the southern end ol the I'enm 

 sula. he observed smoke from Iheir 

 fires. 



The Bunttrong tribe ol Abongmes 

 inhabited the Peninsula when Aus- 

 tralia was discovered Not a great 

 amount is known about this tribe — 

 but by going back through the 

 records ol Victoria's short history, 

 and by study ing Ihe remains of camp 

 sites, middens, and other iclics: we 

 are able lo obtain some idea of how 

 these people lived before the first 

 settlers arrived. 



Ihe Bunurong people wete mainly 

 a coastal tribe, and their territory 

 extended honi ihe Werrihce Rivet, 

 through ihe southern suburbs of 

 Melbourne, the Moimnglon Penin- 

 sula, and the rest of the coast to 

 Andersons Inlet. The Hunurot.g in 



itirn belonged to the Kulm Nmum, I 

 which was made up of uuntenius 

 tribes. These tribes occupied quite ., 

 large area of Victoria. 



I he Bunurong people met (fa 

 natives of the Kutnai tribe |l| \n,i n 

 %on's Inlet, where they mlcrnimrioii, 

 Ihe Kuinai tube which was divnko 

 into five clans, occupied most qJ 

 tiippsland. 



\s w inlets oil the I'eiiinsiila ;ir c 

 Cold, the natives woulif have CISSOrM! 

 to the use ol kailgaioo anil possum 

 skins loi clothing, ami the erection 

 of mias mias made liom strips m 

 balk fot shelter. 



lood woulil have been no pnilik: u 

 as the lecords of earlv settlers provide 

 ample evidence of an abundance M 

 animal life, including kangaroos ami 

 emus. The seas suitourtding the 

 Peninsula would have supplied 

 iHlinemoN species ot lisfi, while the 

 ineky sections of the coast carried I 

 large tailye of shellfish. 



Vegetable food would have been 

 available, as the tollowine plants We 

 found in the atea uudei consnlcralion, 

 and ate known lo have been eakn 

 hv Vicloiiati Aborigines: Ihe Native 

 C herry \Exihurpa) , vanous is pes vi 

 fungi, the spikes ami sulks of tin- 

 Grass lice t Xtiiiilmrriuita)', gum 

 exuded by vaiious Akkhh; the nectar 

 front liulikhui Dtart-iiKitu and Bdfl&bl 

 iitttgiifuliti. Grass and Acacia seeds 

 vscre ground up and eaten; and tubers 

 o! the billowing orchnts wm on 

 sinicd Dipotliiiiu fhtu^flkyHtttn 

 \titrolh, l'lrri/\t\li\. t^ppfOttttDOt 

 ( bfaufAlcfl ami Cltisuulla The feni 

 Di.l.umit, (inKtrttiai slill occurs '» 



336 



V»cl Nat Vol 88 



