Community & Rememberence
Term 3
The Imoportance Of Country & Place
aboriginal Language
Language is extremely important to the aboriginal peoples. Languages carry cultural knowledge, so the loss of a language means a loss of culture, of Aboriginal people's connection to their ancestors.
"The important thing about language and what it means is that language contains the essence of our ancestors, every word comes from the place and identifies people and links to the land, country, the dreaming: they are all inherent in language, therefore it means the people, the land, everything." Youlngu Elder Laurie Baymarrmangga.
the local language group for the Illawara is Thawaral
It is also known as Wollongong
Spirit of the Land-Popplet
Place Names
The Aboriginal name for Shellharbour has been recorded as both Yerrowah (meeting place), and wonwin (place where there were big fish). The European name Shellharbour refers to the large quantities of shells found in Aboriginal middens alon the foreshore in the early to mid 19th century. Due to mining of shells in the mid 19th century for the production of lime thes vast middens no longer remain.