:Kulin nation

Before British colonisation, the tribes spoke five related languages. These languages are spoken by two groups: the eastern Kulin group of Woiwurrung–Taungurung, Boonwurrung and Ngurai-illam-wurrung; and the western language group of just Wadawurrung.

The central Victoria area has been inhabited for an estimated 42,000 years before European settlement.{{efn|"There is some evidence to show that people were living in the Maribyrnong River valley, near present day Keilor, about 40,000 years ago." {{harvcol|Presland|1997|p={{page needed|date=August 2023}}}}}} At the time of British settlement in the 1830s, the collective populations of the Woiwurrung, Boonwurrung and Wadawurrung tribes of the Kulin nation was estimated to be under 20,000.{{sfn|Anon.|n.d.}}{{sfn|Presland|1994|p={{page needed|date=August 2023}}}}{{efn|Presland describes in some detail the archaeological evidence regarding aboriginal life, culture, food gathering and land management, particularly the period from the flooding of Bass Strait and Port Phillip from about 7–10,000 years ago, up to the European colonisation in the 19th century. {{harv|Presland|1994|p={{page needed|date=August 2023}}}}}} The Kulin lived by fishing, cultivating murnong (also called yam daisy; Microseris) as well as hunting and gathering, and made a sustainable living from the rich food sources of Port Phillip and the surrounding grasslands.{{sfn|Presland|1994|p={{page needed|date=August 2023}}}}{{sfn|Pascoe|2017|p={{page needed|date=August 2023}}}}

Due to the upheaval and disturbances from British settlement from the 1830s on, there is limited physical evidence of the Kulin peoples' collective past. However, there is a small number of registered sites of cultural and spiritual significance in the Melbourne area.{{sfn|Eidelson|1997|pp=8–9}}{{sfn|Eidelson|2001}}

• Woiwurrung (Woy-wur-rung) – the Wurundjeri people
• Boonwurrung – the Boonwurrung people
• Wathaurong (Wath-er-rung) – the Wathaurong people
• Taungurung (Tung-ger-rung) – the Taungurung people
• Dja Dja Wurrung (Jar-Jar-Wur-rung) – the Djadjawurrung or Djaara people

At certain times of the year, these nations would meet at Yarra Falls to settle disputes, to trade, and to hold corroborees.{{sfn|Maunder|2008}}

When foreign people passed through or were invited onto tribal lands, the ceremony of tanderrum – freedom of the bush – was performed. This was intended to allow for safe passage and temporary access and use of land and resources by foreign people. It was a diplomatic rite involving the landholder's hospitality and a ritual exchange of gifts.

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{{Reflist|18em}}

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• {{cite web|author=Anon.|date=n.d.|title = Indigenous connections to the site

| url = https://www.rbg.vic.gov.au/documents/RBGV_Indigenous_connections_to_the_site.pdf|url-status=dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070831065331/http://www.rbg.vic.gov.au/__data/page/1062/Indig.pdf

| archive-date = 31 August 2007

}}

• {{Cite book| title = The Melbourne Dreaming. A Guide to the Aboriginal Places of Melbourne

| last = Eidelson | first = Meyer | year = 1997

| publisher = Aboriginal Studies Press | location = Canberra

| isbn = 0-85575-306-4

}}

• {{Cite book| chapter = The Footballer, First in the league (about James Wandin)|pages=35–37

| last = Eidelson | first = Meyer|author-mask=2| year = 2001

| title = Walks in Port Phillip. A guide to the cultural landscapes of a City

|publisher=City of Port Phillip

| url = http://home.vicnet.net.au/~hsosk/downloads/ppwalks.pdf | url-status = dead

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081030133601/http://home.vicnet.net.au/~hsosk/downloads/ppwalks.pdf

| archive-date = 30 October 2008

| isbn = 0-646-41199-3

}}

• {{cite news|last=Maunder|first=Patricia|title=Melbourne dreamtime a reality|url=https://www.theage.com.au/national/melbourne-dreamtime-a-reality-20080111-ge6le4.html|newspaper=The Age|access-date=24 April 2019|date=11 January 2008}}
• {{Cite book|last=Pascoe|first=Bruce|author-link=Bruce Pascoe|date=2017|title=Dark Emu|isbn=978-1-4893-8039-5|oclc=1089338508}}{{better source needed|date=August 2023|reason=This is an audio book, a poor citation source.}}
• {{Cite book| title = Aboriginal Melbourne: The Lost Land of the Kulin People | edition = Second

| last = Presland | first = Gary|author-link=Gary Presland| year = 1994

| orig-year = First published 1985

| publisher = Harriland Press

| isbn = 0-9577004-2-3

}}

• {{Cite book| title = The First Residents of Melbourne's Western Region

| last = Presland | first = Gary|author-mask=2| year = 1997

| publisher = Harriland Press | location = Forest Hill, Victoria

| isbn = 0-646-33150-7 | oclc = 222368168

}}

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• {{cite web|last=Darwin|first=Norm|year=1999|url=http://www2.sebas.vic.edu.au/staff/ndarwin/loddon.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928204418/http://www2.sebas.vic.edu.au/staff/ndarwin/loddon.htm|archive-date=28 September 2007|title=The Loddon Aboriginals|ref=none}}
• {{Cite book|last1=Ellender|first1=Isabel|last2=Christiansen|first2=Peter|year=2001|title=People of the Merri Merri. The Wurundjeri in Colonial Days|publisher=Merri Creek Management Committee|location=East Brunswick, Victoria|isbn=0-9577728-0-7|oclc=52505206|ref=none}}
• {{Cite book|last=Pascoe|first=Bruce|author-link=Bruce Pascoe|year=1997|title=Wauthaurong Too Bloody Strong: Stories and life journeys of people from Wauthaurong|publisher=Pascoe Publishing|location=Apollo Bay, Victoria|isbn=094708731-1|oclc=39078639|ref=none}}

{{Victorian Aborigines}}

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Category:Aboriginal peoples of Victoria (state)

Category:Kulin nation