Yilba

For the language, see Yilba language.

The Yilba, also written Ilba, were an indigenous Australian people of the state of Queensland.

Country

In Norman Tindale's estimation, the Yilba were assigned a tribal domain extending over approximately 7,400 square miles (19,000 km²), from the area of Cape River westwards as far as the Great Dividing Range. Their northern boundaries lay roughly about Pentland Hills and Seventy Mile Range. Their eastern extension was around the Suttor River, while their southern limits were at Lake Buchanan. The Yilba were indigenous to places like on Campaspe River; and the Natal Downs.

Social organization

The Yilba were composed of hordes of which 6 at least are known:-

• Yukkaburra.
• Wokkulburra. (eel people)
• Pegulloburra.
• Mungooburra.
• Mungullaburra.(spinifex people)
• Goondoolooburra. (emu people).

While stating that there are six hordes, Tindale gave the names of only 3, two of which differ from the list in one of his primary sources on the six, namely

• Moothaburra,
• Mungera.

He also adds a possible fourth group.

• Muqkibara.

Alternative names

• Yukkaburra, Yuckaburra.
• Munkeeburra.
• Moothaburra.
• Mungera, Mungerra.
• Eneby. (language name?)
• Pagulloburra.

Sources

• "AIATSIS map of Indigenous Australia". AIATSIS.
• Armstrong, M. (1886). "The Watershed and Upper Portion of the Cape River" (PDF). In Curr, Edward Micklethwaite (ed.). The Australian race: its origin, languages, customs, place of landing in Australia and the routes by which it spread itself over the continent. Vol. Volume 2. Melbourne: J. Ferres. pp. 464–467. {{cite book}}: |volume= has extra text (help); Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Roth, W. E. (1897). Ethnological Studies among the North-West-Central Queensland Aborigines (PDF). Brisbane: Edmund Gregory, Government Printer. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Sutton, Peter (November 1973). Gugu-Badshun and its neighbours: A Linguistic Salvage Study (PDF). Macquarie University M. A. honours thesis. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Sutton, Peter (1975). Sutton, Peter (ed.). Languages of Cape York: papers presented to the linguistic symposium, part B, held in conjunction with the Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies Biennial General Meeting, May, 1974. Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies. pp. 116–120. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Tindale, Norman Barnett (1974). "Ilba (QLD)". Aboriginal Tribes of Australia: Their Terrain, Environmental Controls, Distribution, Limits, and Proper Names. Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-708-10741-6. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Tompson, F.M.; Chatfield, W. (1886). "Natal Downs Station, Cape River" (PDF). In Curr, Edward Micklethwaite (ed.). The Australian race: its origin, languages, customs, place of landing in Australia and the routes by which it spread itself over the continent. Vol. Volume 2. Melbourne: J. Ferres. pp. 468–483. {{cite book}}: |volume= has extra text (help); Invalid |ref=harv (help)