First Nations Land

I acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which I write this, the Turrbal and Yagera people. We recognise their continued connection to the land and waters of this place, and acknowledge that they never ceded sovereignty. I respect all Elders and Ancestors, and any First Nations people reading this.

My family has been mainly living on two regions of land in Australia back to my 3rd and 4th great grandparents. 

My father's family lived on Worimi country (also spelt Warrimay) (Gloucester, NSW). 

Worimi people

• British colonists had a perception that Worimi people were taller and stouter than those living around Sydney and were more prone to laughter than tears.
• The Worimi were divided into a number of nurras (local groups within a tribe, each occupying a definite locality within the tribal territory).
• The Worimi and Biripi tribes both spoke dialects of the Kattang language.

Garigal and Caregal people

My mother's family has lived in the Sydney region on Eora land, and more recently the Northern Beaches. The Northern Beaches is the land of the Garigal and Caregal clans.

For northern Sydney the term Guringai was formerly used, however, it was originally invented by a researcher in 1892 for this area and there is a Gringai clan in the Barrington River, Gloucester area who are requesting Sydneysiders to stop using their name.

Turrbal people

In 2008 I moved from NSW to Brisbane QLD, and now live on Yagera and Turrbal land. They speak Yuggera and their name for Brisbane is Meanjin.

Belinda Wilson 

Today, I live and work on the lands of the Turrbal people, traditional custodians of the lands and waters of the Brisbane area.

I grew up in New South Wales, at Gloucester, where My father's family has lived since the early 1900's on Worimi land.

My mother's side of the family is from Sydney, New South Wales where my family has lived since 1820 on Eora and Garigal land.

Map from AIATSIS

Yuggera Country. Courtesy of NITV, 2020. 

How to write an acknowledgment of country.

Short version: Today I live on the lands of the Turrbal and Yagera people. My father's family is from Worimi land and my mother's family is from Eora land.