Mamu
Encyclopedia
The Mamu are an Indigenous Australian people from the coastal and rainforest region of Far North Queensland
. They inhabited the region of the Johnstone River
at Innisfail
, from Murdering Point in the south to Tolga
in the north.
s within the Mamu; they were Mandubara, Tulkubara (Dulgabara), Bagirgabara, Waribara (Wardi-bara), and Djiribara. The Waribara were physically shorter and lived in the dense forests that were adjacent to the Johnstone River. The Djiribara lived near the present day town of Mourilyan and the Tulkubara near Jordan Creek. The Mandubara lived on the South Johnstone River. The Tulkubara, or "The Cassowary
Tribe", distinguished themselved by their head-dresses that consisted of red and yellow feathers.
The Mamu existed in a hunter-gatherer type community.
an settlers.
The first dispute with settlers occurred in 1872 when the survivors of the ship
"Maria" that was shipwreck
ed near Johnstone River on the coast
. Sub-Inspector Robert Johnstone sent a search party to look for survivors and to punish the Mamu who abused them. With the Native Troopers, he attacked the Mamu when he was escorting an explorer by the name of Dalrymple.
In the late 1870s and early 1880s, European redcedar
cutters and Chinese
that were prospecting for gold arrived in the region. The Mamu fought with them and inflicted numerous casualties upon them. The Mamu community were later broken down and dispersed or were assimilated with the settlers.
The Mamu have also been known by the name of Morruburra (and possibly Dulgabara).
Far North Queensland
Far North Queensland, or FNQ, is the northernmost part of the Australian state of Queensland. The region, which contains a large section of the Tropical North Queensland area, stretches from the city of Cairns north to the Torres Strait...
. They inhabited the region of the Johnstone River
Johnstone River
The Johnstone River is a river in North Queensland, Australia. The river has two main branches called the North Johnstone River and the South Johnstone River. The town of Innisfail is the largest settlement in the catchment and is built on the banks of the lower Johnstone River where the two...
at Innisfail
Innisfail, Queensland
Innisfail is a town located in the far north of the state of Queensland, Australia. It is the major township of the Cassowary Coast and is well renowned for its sugar and banana industries, as well as for being one of Australia's wettest towns...
, from Murdering Point in the south to Tolga
Tolga, Queensland
Tolga is a town on the Atherton Tableland in Far North Queensland, Australia, and is the centre of the regions peanut industry. At the 2006 census, Tolga had a population of 843.The name Tolga means red mud in the local Aboriginal language...
in the north.
Survival
There were five clanClan
A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, clan members may be organized around a founding member or apical ancestor. The kinship-based bonds may be symbolical, whereby the clan shares a "stipulated" common ancestor that is a...
s within the Mamu; they were Mandubara, Tulkubara (Dulgabara), Bagirgabara, Waribara (Wardi-bara), and Djiribara. The Waribara were physically shorter and lived in the dense forests that were adjacent to the Johnstone River. The Djiribara lived near the present day town of Mourilyan and the Tulkubara near Jordan Creek. The Mandubara lived on the South Johnstone River. The Tulkubara, or "The Cassowary
Cassowary
The cassowaries are ratites, very large flightless birds in the genus Casuarius native to the tropical forests of New Guinea, nearby islands and northeastern Australia. There are three extant species recognized today...
Tribe", distinguished themselved by their head-dresses that consisted of red and yellow feathers.
The Mamu existed in a hunter-gatherer type community.
History
The Mamu strongly resisted the occupation of their tribal lands by EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an settlers.
The first dispute with settlers occurred in 1872 when the survivors of the ship
Ship
Since the end of the age of sail a ship has been any large buoyant marine vessel. Ships are generally distinguished from boats based on size and cargo or passenger capacity. Ships are used on lakes, seas, and rivers for a variety of activities, such as the transport of people or goods, fishing,...
"Maria" that was shipwreck
Shipwreck
A shipwreck is what remains of a ship that has wrecked, either sunk or beached. Whatever the cause, a sunken ship or a wrecked ship is a physical example of the event: this explains why the two concepts are often overlapping in English....
ed near Johnstone River on the coast
Coast
A coastline or seashore is the area where land meets the sea or ocean. A precise line that can be called a coastline cannot be determined due to the dynamic nature of tides. The term "coastal zone" can be used instead, which is a spatial zone where interaction of the sea and land processes occurs...
. Sub-Inspector Robert Johnstone sent a search party to look for survivors and to punish the Mamu who abused them. With the Native Troopers, he attacked the Mamu when he was escorting an explorer by the name of Dalrymple.
In the late 1870s and early 1880s, European redcedar
Toona ciliata
Australian Red Cedar , Toona ciliata is a forest tree in the family Meliaceae which grows throughout southern Asia from Afghanistan to Papua New Guinea and Australia. In Australia its natural habitat is now extensively cleared subtropical rainforests of New South Wales and Queensland...
cutters and Chinese
Han Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
that were prospecting for gold arrived in the region. The Mamu fought with them and inflicted numerous casualties upon them. The Mamu community were later broken down and dispersed or were assimilated with the settlers.
The Mamu have also been known by the name of Morruburra (and possibly Dulgabara).