The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are the original inhabitants of Australia. They have inhabited the continent for over 60,000 years and have a deep spiritual and cultural connection to the land. Prior to British colonization in 1788, there were over 500 different clan groups or ‘nations’ within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations, speaking over 250 languages. Each nation had their own name for their traditional lands and waters. There was no single name for the entire continent of Australia used by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Aboriginal Terms for Australia
Some common names used by different Aboriginal groups to refer to the lands they inhabited include:
Murujuga
The Ngarluma and Yaburara peoples of north-western Australia used the term Murujuga to refer to the arid lands and rocky outcrops of the Burrup Peninsula and Dampier Archipelago in Western Australia. This name is still used today to refer to this culturally significant region.
Buluwandau
The Ewamian Aboriginal people of north Queensland used Buluwandau, meaning ‘earth’ or ‘country’, to refer to their traditional lands around the Herbert River and Mt Garnet. This name referred specifically to Ewamian country, not the entire Australian continent.
Kaniyambutta
This term was used by the Dharug people of the Sydney basin to refer to their traditional lands around Port Jackson and Sydney Harbour. Kaniyambutta means ‘the place from which we came’ or ‘our home’.
Noongar
In south-west Western Australia, Noongar is the name of both the Aboriginal people and the lands they have inhabited for millennia. Noongar country spans from Jurien Bay to Esperance. The word means ‘the people’ in the Noongar language.
Dharawal
The Dharawal clan groups inhabited the lands around Botany Bay and the Royal National Park south of Sydney. Dharawal country or Dharawal land refers to this specific region.
Common Terms Used by Aboriginal People when Referring to Australia
While local clan names were used for specific homelands, some common nationwide terms used by Aboriginal people to refer to Australia include:
‘Country’
Aboriginal people often use the word ‘country’ or ‘my country’ to refer to their ancestral lands. This reflects the deep connection between Aboriginal groups and the lands they inhabit and manage. Country has a much deeper meaning than just the physical landscape, it also incorporates law, culture, spirituality and identity.
‘Mob’
An Aboriginal ‘mob’ or ‘my mob’ refers to a person’s extended family, language group or clan. When an Aboriginal person refers to ‘my mob from this country’, they mean their cultural group and their traditional lands.
‘Dreaming’
The Dreaming or Dreamtime refers to the period in which ancestral spirits created the land, animals, plants and Lore that underpin Aboriginal cultures. It connects the past with the present and future. The dreaming encapsulates Aboriginal religious beliefs and creation stories that are tied to the natural landscape.
‘Homelands’
Aboriginal people often simply refer to Australia as their ‘homelands’. This refers to the entire continent having been home to and managed by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander tribes since time immemorial.
The Complex Relationship Between Aboriginal People and the Name ‘Australia’
The name ‘Australia’ was coined by British explorers in the 17th century and officially adopted after British colonisation. There has long been debate around the continent having an exclusively British name despite being home to the world’s oldest continuous living cultures.
Many Aboriginal people reject the name Australia, regarding it as emblematic of British imperialism and the denial of Aboriginal sovereignty and identity. However, the term has been widely adopted by both Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians due to its ubiquity. Many Aboriginal people reluctantly use ‘Australia’ for practical purposes while retaining pride in their traditional place names and languages.
There have been efforts to recognise an Aboriginal name for Australia alongside the conventional name, but no consensus has been reached. Suggestions include ‘Eora’, ‘Yirrbul’ and ‘Murawarri’, which are words from Aboriginal languages meaning ‘country’. However, not all groups accept these names should take primacy over their own traditional names for country.
Why Aboriginal Names for Countries Persist
Aboriginal terms for countries and places preserve history, culture and identity. They reflect a deep, unbroken connection to lands that sustained these societies for over 50,000 years before colonisation.
Using and reviving traditional names combats the impact of colonisation on Indigenous cultures. Transferring Aboriginal place names to future generations will strengthen cultural pride and continuity.
Traditional names also carry important cultural knowledge, such as information about the landscape and resources. They link people to ancestoral Dreaming stories that shape culture.
Retaining original place names is an important part of truth-telling and reconciliation. Recognising these names acknowledges the sovereign rights of Aboriginal peoples. Their persistent use in Aboriginal languages and dialects keeps these connections alive.
Conclusion
Aboriginal Australians did not conceive of the continent now known as ‘Australia’ in a single overarching way. Hundreds of distinct nations existed, each with their own name for their homelands. Some common terms used to refer to Australia include ‘country’, ‘mob’, ‘Dreaming’ and ‘homelands’. While the word ‘Australia’ has become widely adopted, Aboriginal names persist as an assertion of cultural identity and sovereignty. Recognition and revival of original place names preserves important history, culture and knowledge.