The Murdudjurl Story
History of the area and the people that used it
The Traditional Owners of the area around Murdudjurl are Bininj people and the language spoken is Gaagudju. Evidence recently discovered indicated that this area has seen inhabitants for 65,000 + years. This puts in question many of the assumptions about when Aboriginal people arrived in Australia.
Prior to the region becoming a national park, the land around Kakadu was used by European settlers for buffalo hunting, grazing land and more recently mining. Murdudjurl, in particular, was used by large game hunters, who would fly into the homestead to trophy hunt. With changes to the laws around hunting, approximately half of the land which Kakadu National Park sits on was claimed back as Aboriginal Land under the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1976.
The Muir Family
Mandy and her family have had a continuous affiliation with their land, all the way through white settlement. When buffalo hunters came to Kakadu, they established safari camps and worked with the local people, hiring them as hunters and trackers. Through this employment, Mandy’s family were able to remain on their land.
When the first stage of Kakadu National Park was established in 1981, white settler’s claim to the land was withdrawn, and Indigenous families were able to apply for Native Title. Mandy’s grandfather claimed his traditional land at Murdudjurl for his family, and the family took over the old safari camp which had been built there.
Future Prospects
Currently the Homeland is looking to further develop tourism opportunities, as it is a popular and accessible area for many travellers. Mandy & her family currently run trips for tourists and a weekend long cultural festival.
Exploring sacred rock art sites at Nourlangie Rock
Didgeridoo lesson with Travis
Sunset at Yellow Water
Murdudjurl Family Tree
Murdudjurl Cultural Educators
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Mandy
Travis
Ben
Additional Resources (not required for quiz)
Watch the below clip which showcases the Muir Family welcoming some of our past students onto their country [1].
Kakadu Kitchen – Check out Ben (Mandy’s Brother) and Jessie (Mandy’s Mum) take Costa from Gardening Australia on a culinary journey of the bush foods found out at Murdudjurl.
References
[1] Sarah, J, 2018. Kakadu Safari Camp. Available at <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqwXUBl-Dq8&feature=emb_logo>.