Goondir Health Service’s, service provision area covers from Warwick in the southeast, travelling west to Goondiwindi and St George, and then north to Yuleba, and then east to Kingaroy, and then back south to Warwick.

Presently the National Native Title Tribunal has four (4) claims that covers the Goondir Health Services region:

QC 99/04 Western Wakka Wakka People
QG 99/05 Barunggam People
QC 97/50 Mandandanji
QC 91/06 Bigambul People

The map displaying the boundaries for these claims can be seen here.

The traditional boundaries that encompass the Goondir Health Services region were formed by many groupings of Aboriginal people. The custom of trading goods and ceremony, as well as the kinship ties between the various clans/ language groups allowed the members of the different groups to speak not only their own language, but they would also have been able to communicate with visitors to their district.

The impact of early European exploration also had the effect of bringing other languages into their area. An example would be the practice by the early explorers of using Aborigines from the NSW’s Hunter Valley, and the Liverpool Plains district as guides, and they would have carried new languages and dialects into this region.

The constant sharing of languages has led to present day confusion on what were the ‘traditional boundaries’ for the various clans/language groups. An example is Goondiwindi, as records show that it is situated within the boundaries of two (2) language groups, the Kamilaroi and the Bigambul. This confusion is evident in nearly every ‘Native Title Claim’.

The most authoritative and comprehensive source for clarifying the confusion around clan/language boundaries is the Norman Tindale collection.

Norman Tindale Information
In 1921 anthropologist and entomologist Norman Tindale, began collecting information on Aboriginal people living on missions and government stations. By the end of the 1960s he had collected many photographs and recorded detailed genealogies of Aboriginal people all over Australia. The genealogical information includes up to three (3) generations of family names and, in some cases, tribal names, relevant moiety and totem.

Tindale also collected the names and languages of the people living on these missions and stations. This information can be found in State Library of Queensland as the ‘The Tindale Collection’. Visit Website

Barunggam (Dalby, Miles, Oakey and Toowoomba)
Alternative Names
Barungam, Parrungoom, Murrumgama, Murrun-gama, Murrumningama, Kogai (this name is used also for the language of tribes to the west), Gogai, Cogai. More Information

Bigambul (Goondiwindi)
Alternative Names
Bigabul (valid variant used by one informant), Pikambul, Bigambal, Bigambel, Bee-gum-bul, Bigumble, Pikumbul, Pikumpal, Pikambal, Pikum-bul, Pickum-bul, Pickimbul, Pickumble, Picum-bul, Pikumbil, Begumble (['biga] = ['pika] == yes), Peekumble, Pickumbil, Picumbill, Preagalgh, Wigal-wollumbul, Wee-n' gul-la-m' bul. More Information

Kamilaroi (Goondiwindi)
Alternate Names
Kamilarai, Kamilari, Kamilroi, Kamilarai, Kamu-laroi, Kaamee'larrai, Kamileroi, Koomilroi, Komleroy, Gamilaroi, Gamilroi, Kahmilaharoy, Kamilary, Gumilroi, Gummilroi, Gummilray, Kimilari, Karmil, Kamil (['kamil] = no), Comleroy, Ghummilarai, Cammealroy, Kahmilari, Kakmilari (typographical error), Cumilri, Cam-ell-eri, Cum-milroy, Cummeroy, Gunnilaroi, K= no), Comleroy, Ghummilarai, Cammealroy, Kahml Duhai, Yauan (mystic language name), Tjake (mystic language name), Tyake. More Information

Mandandanji (St. George and Yuleba)
Alternative Names
Matjai (language name), Matjandji, Madyay, Mooka. More Information

Bundjalung aka Badjalang (Warwick)
Alternative Names
Badjelang, Budulung (paidjal = badjal = man), Buggul (g read as dj), Paikalyung, Paikalyug, Bandjalang, Bandjalong, Bunjellung, Bundela, Bundel, Widje (horde or hordes at Evans Head), Watchee, Woomargou. More Information