“Deep Time History of Australia is a new unit that will be mandatory for all schools in Australia to implement by 2026. TGS's Humanities Department has implemented the unit ahead of time with a local focus for both content and associated assessment.”— Mr Douglas Michael, Teacher of History and Philosophy & Reasoning
On Tuesday, 27 February and again on Monday, 19 August, our Year 7 History students had the privilege of visiting Western Wakka Wakka cultural heritage site, Gummingurru, as part of their study of the Deep Time History of Australia.
Gummingurru is unique in being the best-preserved initiation site in southeast Queensland, including bora rings and various stone arrangements that have ancient links to the totems and kinship practices of the Jarowair and Giabal people of Toowoomba and the Darling Downs, as well as the broader region within the highly significant cultural landscape of the Bunya Mountains.
The boys were welcomed to, and guided through, the site and its learning centre by Mr Shannon Bauwens, a Western Wakka Wakka man, traditional custodian of Gummingurru, and board member of the Bunya Peoples Aboriginal Corporation. The boys partook in a smoking ceremony to cleanse themselves on arrival before gaining insight to Shannon’s encyclopaedic knowledge of the site’s history and cultural practices of the Indigenous peoples of the region. The boys who visited last Monday are now busy consolidating their knowledge in an assessment piece based on their visit. I have asked some of the Year 7s to share their learnings about the historical significance, changes and continuities associated with Gummingurru.
Our aim in localising the content is to have a more meaningful impact on students and how the entire unit is delivered and with significant sites like Gummingurra so close to our School it only serves to enrich the learning experience.
How ancient is the site at Gummingurru and how long was it used? The Gummingurru site is predicted to be around 4000 to 6000 years old and was a site for many purposes. The site was used for a long time before initiation was stopped in the 1890s. This site is still visited by the public but only to have a look around and to learn about the site’s history and cultural background.
Who went to Gummingurru and how far did they travel? Many tribes travelled to Gummingurru for initiation ceremonies and other ceremonies. The tribes travelled from as far west as Cunnamulla and Charleville, the Clarence River in Northern NSW, and Bundaberg/Dawson River to the North. This is about a six-hour drive in a car and would be months on foot. They travelled along songlines linking the places together. After initiation they travelled to the Bunya Mountains for the Bunya Festival, Bunya nut feasts and associated ceremonies.
What was Gummingurru used for? The Western Wakka Wakka cultural heritage site known as Gummingurru was used as an initiation site of young men. Initiation was where the kippas (young men) would be put through the law regarding their assigned yuree (totem) in initiation ceremonies. Kippas who participated in these were chosen by the elders based on whether the kippas were mature enough. This would mean kippas would have the chance of becoming a man, which meant being granted status, rights to participate in ceremony and ritual and education.
What was the first order of business for the men of Gummingurru? The men of Gummingurru would be initiated by the elders which allowed them to enjoy increased status and the right to be educated about their role and responsibility to protect their yuree ‘totem’, which might have been an animal like the emu or carpet snake. The men who went through ceremony at Gummingurru placed rocks in the shapes of their totems to honour them. The men of Gummingurru and their families would then travel the massive ceremonies in the Bunya Mountains. The Bunya ceremonies were hosted to trade Bunya nuts, dance, hold ceremony, arrange marriages and settle arguments. After being assigned their totem, it then became their job to protect the animal and its habitat or country, e.g. Emu Country.
What happens at Gummingurru now and how are traditional practices being revived? On our trip to Gummingurru and Cobb & Co we learned that the site is used for teaching our generation the significance of First Nations heritage and history. The ancient custodians of the land such as Wakka Wakka, Gaibal and Jarowair people used cultural burning to keep the Gumminguru site safe and less likely to experience severe bushfire. Modern custodians, such as the Bunya Peoples Aboriginal Corporation manage country the same way today. This form of burning is being revived to care for yurees, such as a turtle, emu and dingo and their connected country in an ongoing way for the current and future generations.
Do you think there are similarities between Gummingurru and TGS as ‘man-making’ sites? During our tour of Gummingurru, traditional custodian, Shannon Bauwens, explained to us how Gummingurru was a learning place for young indigenous men, or a ‘man-making' site where young men were ‘made’ or transitioned into adult men through ceremony. A place where boys arrived but left as men. At Gummingurru young men were taught about socialisation and the values of their people to prepare them for adult life. I do think Gummingurru is similar to TGS, as these are the things we learn here in addition to obtaining an education. Many of us arrive at TGS as boys but will also leave as men.
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