This is a moderately large printed metal sign, angled on a steel post, beside the cycle and footpath that runs beside the Wooli River.
For Thousands of Years
this area has been significant to the Yaegl and Gumbaynggirr people.
Aboriginal occupation and the presence of middens on this land dates back 6,400 years. Prior to European settlement an estimated population of 6,300 people lived in this area which made it the most heavily populated region of northern NSW at the time. This is attributed to its favourable environmental conditions, ecological diversity and the availability of food and material resources.
Living Resources
An elder from the Yaegi Aboriginal community (Uncle Ron Heron), noted the importance of pandanus and wattle which were commonly used as resource trees by local Aboriginal groups.
Wattle seeds were ground into flour, then mixed with water and cooked as bread. The green seed pods release a sticky juice (when crushed). This mixed with water makes sunscreen, insect repellent and a treatment for eczema. The gum from the stem can be eaten and the grubs which burrow in the stems as larvae were a sought after and nutritious food.
The pandanus leaves were used to weave neckbands and armbands. The fibre of the leaves can be used as string for dillybags, baskets, mats and shelters.
You are within the traditional homelands of the Gumbaynggirr (in the south) and Yaegi Nations (in the north). The Birrigan Gargle Local Aboriginal Land Council is the recognised custodian of the land today. Caring for these lands shows respect for elders past and present and their strong spiritual and cultural connection to this Country.
Gathering Places
Middens are 'gathering places', and are still used today. Yaegi and Gumbaynggirr people would hunt, sit and feast on an abundance of marine animals, particularly shellfish and fish.
Abundant & seasonally varied food options year round
Proximity to the coast and an abundance of fresh water, from surrounding tributaries and rivers, provided natural marine resources for the Aboriginal people. Bream, whiting, flathead, tailor, trevally, perch, groper, kingfish, salmon and snapper along with shellfish species such as oysters, cockles, mussels and pipis would have been readily available.
This bike trail runs though two contrasting vegetation communities - Wallum Sand Heaths and North Dry Sclerophyll Forests - provide habitats for a variety of animals and plants.
Nearby areas of rainforest also provided food, medicines and raw materials for daily life. Mammals such as the possum, pademelon, wallaby, flying squirrel and kangaroo, as well as birds such as the brush turkey, pheasant, and lyre bird inhabited this diverse region. The gathering of yams and fruit was a common activity. 'Queensland nuts', wild grapes, wild cherries and the seed and heart of the Burrawang palm are known to have been collected.
Visited: 0857, Wednesday, 20 December, 2017
[As there is a lot of writing, and the coloured background makes it hard to read, any errors in transcription are mine!]