Aboriginal people were referred to as ‘Blacks’, ‘Native People’ or ‘Yarra Tribe’ until William Thomas, the Assistant Protector of the Aboriginal people for Melbourne and Westernport districts, provided more information. He lived and moved with Aboriginal people in the area for eleven years and made serious attempts to learn their language and culture.
Kulin is described as meaning ‘man’, or more precisely as ‘noble man’. All other Aboriginal people were looked upon by the Kulins as savages. Their traditional foe was the Kurnai Nation of Gippsland, where Kurnai translated as ‘noble men’ and Kulin to them meant ‘savage men’. Kulin and Kurnai are therefore best described as Aboriginal Nations.
Woiwurrung were the people occupying the Middle and Upper reaches of the Yarra (includes Hurstbridge). Woiwurrung means the people who say ‘woi’ for ‘no’. In much the same way that the Woiwurrung described their Kulin neighbours along the eastern shores of Port Phillip Bay and beyond as Bunurong, or the people who say ‘bun’ for ‘no’.
Wurundjeri is derived from ‘wurun’ meaning ‘White Gums’, or ‘the people of the White Gums’ – referring to what we know as Manna Gums that still line the banks of the Yarra today.
(References: Mick Woiwod ‘Once around the Sugarloaf’, 1992, p27)
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