Tulmur: Country

Indigenous cultural significance of waterways 
There is an important spiritual connection between Indigenous people and the land, waters and natural resources associated with water places. Many Aboriginal stories detail the creation of waterways, often by a spirit being in the form of a serpent.

Waterways across Ipswich have special cultural relevance for the local Traditional Owners as places once used for sourcing food and materials and for living and recreation. This long history has built an understanding, knowledge and expertise in the management of water country.

Water places such as rivers, creeks, streams, billabongs, floodwater and wetlands have special spiritual significance with accompanying cultural responsibilities.

Cultural Landscape values of water places:

• Resource: drinking, food preparation, washing, manufacture of tools, transport, hunting, fishing and gathering.
• Ceremonial and Spiritual: Men's business and women's business, Dreaming (creation stories).
• Recreational: Swimming and games.

Aboriginal Cultural Heritage that exists within water places today include:

• Scar trees (from the manufacture of canoes and coolamons).
• Fish traps.
• Stone grooves (from sharpening tools and for food preparation.
• Spiritual places (creation stories).
• Men's business.
• Women's business (i.e. birthing location).

Bora grounds/earth circles
Vicki Mynott in her publication Wacol, Wolston, Woogaroo wrote: 

Bora rings are cleared circles with raised earthern borders. They were used for a variety of purposes, including initiation, dispute resolution, increase rites and corroboree or dance grounds.

 

Using oral history, archaeological research and environmental datasets, it appears that each clan had a number of bora grounds. Ritual Bora Rings have been confirmed at Ellen Grove at Camira near Sandy Cree - and under the Redbank Railway Workshops. All these sites are within the Woogaroo clan territory.

 

Major initiation rings consisted of a double ring - a larger public ring and a smaller private initiation ring, where youths went through a series of tests and rituals in order to become men. Women almost certainly had their initiation grounds as well.

 

From the model it appears that an initiation bora ground required the following associated elements:

• Campsites and access to resources such as water, food and shelter.
• A significant natural feature such as a lagoon, waterhole, rock outcrop or hill.
• A pathway or border.
• A fighting ground in close proximity.