Notice

Norman McVicker

The Wiradjuri Story: Aborigines of Henry Lawson Country by Mudgee’s Local Historian and Writer, Norman McVicker OAM written in 1991. The story is relevant only up to that time as many changes have taken place since.

About Norman McVicker

Norman McVicker OAM, Launched this site on the 20^th February 2009

The Wiradjuri Story cont., P.30

Back to the Beginning

Aboriginal place names still abound in and around Eurunderee district. Henry Lawson wrote about some of the places in his stories and poems – but rarely about the Aborigines themselves. For a good reason. They were no longer there to observe when he was living out his early years in Eurunderee. Time was already beginning its work of obliterating the physical Aboriginal presence – the place names live on to remind us all of the past. Here are the meanings of some of those place names:
 
Mudgee: a nest
Eurunderee: a local tree
Gulgong: a gully
Wollar: a rock water hole
Guntawang: peaceful place
Menah: flat country
Cooyal: dry country
Wilbertree: a long switch
Gooree: native chasing live animal
Burrendong: darker than usual
 
There are many others, but no definitive list of local Aboriginal place names appears to exist.

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