A couple of years ago, I wrote a blog post about how I was interested in the idea of a local seasonal calendar and how I’d found something like that (changing seasons). It wasn’t quite right though – a Gariwerd calendar, not one for the Kulin Nation. I kept my ears and eyes open for one that was, because it is on the lands of the Kulin nation peoples that I was born, grew up and work (Wathaurong) and live now (Wurundjeri).
Recently, my local church, Brunswick Uniting, did a presentation on the “seven seasons of the Kulin Nation” as part of our “Season of Creation” liturgies over September/ October. So I’ve finally found a proper seasonal calendar that the peoples of the Kulin Nation would likely have followed. Apparently it was right under my nose the whole time at the Melbourne Museum. I think I’ll have to make a trip there soon.
The calendar of seasons for the Kulin Nation peoples, with approximate months, is below.
- Biderap: Dry season; roughly Jan-Feb
- Luk: eel season; March
- Waring: Wombat season; April to July
- Guling: Orchid season; August
- Poorneet: Tadpole season; September-October
- Buath Gurru: Grass-flowering season; November
- Kangaroo apple season; December.
For all of these, the corresponding months are approximate, varying year to year. For example, I think Buath Gurru started a week or two ago, judging by the sudden uptick in mine and others’ hayfever symptoms.
For further details and other interesting information, see the following links:
- August: a season of its own
- History of the Wurundjeri Walk
- Melbourne Museum: Forest Secrets Exhibition
- https://museumsvictoria.com.au/bunjilaka/about-us/first-peoples/victorian-aboriginal-languages/
- http://www.vaclang.org.au/
- https://collection.aiatsis.gov.au/austlang/language/S29
- https://insidestory.org.au/learning-the-local-language/
myzania 