Rosewood History. Qld.

FIRST NATIONS

Before European settlement, the lands in the Ipswich region, including the Rosewood Scrub, were the home of the Jagera, Yagera and Ugarapul people, clans that identify as being a part of the Yuggera Language Group. The Aboriginal relationship to the Rosewood Scrub was defined by deep traditional stewardship, daily sustenance from the land, and its later tactical use as a stronghold during frontier resistance. Traditional owners managed the dense vine scrub for millennia through sophisticated ecological practices. Fire and harvesting patterns maintained biodiversity without destroying the unique canopy. The landscape holds deep ancestral connections, dreaming paths, and sacred cultural meaning.

The Scrub provided a reliable, year-round source of diverse foods and essential medicines. Over 50 species of plants for bush tucker and more than 30 species for medicinal purposes lay within the dry rainforest ecosystem of the Rosewood Scrub. Plants like the native guava, finger limes, and various roots served as nutritional staples. The dense habitat supported small mammals, birds, and insects, which were hunted sustainably. The impenetrable nature of the scrub, and the complex landscape, offered a massive strategic advantage when warriors used the dense vegetation to launch surprise attacks and it also provided vital cover. The heavy, durable timber of the Rosewood tree was famously shaped by local Aboriginal groups into high-quality, strong hunting spears.

Archibald Meston, in his publication “The Queensland Railway and Tourists Guide,” (1891) gives the old Aboriginal names of this district as “Cowpanby” and “Boonooroo,” which literally means “all brigalow” from the brigalow scrubs which covered the adjoining hills.

Aboriginals were numerous within the Scrub, and were for a time a terror to the early European settlers “new chums,” during the 1840s to 1860s. Settlers were highly intimidated by the thick, unfamiliar terrain and the local tribes who could navigate it so effortlessly. Although there is a lack of documented local massacres or violent tragedies within the immediate Rosewood Scrub, the broader region witnessed intense, bloody conflict. A degree of peaceful cohabitation and mutual respect later developed under leaders like King Johnny of Tarampa, a well-known indigenous man, who held everyone’s respect. He was easily recognised by the brass breast plate he wore suspended by a chain from his neck. These people lived peacefully in the open forest and had many tracks through the Rosewood Scrub and pathways to connect neighbouring groups.

The book, Tallegalla Centenary 1879-1979 (J. Else), supplied the following – In the early days of settlement groups of aborigines frequently passed through the area, coming from the direction of Minden and the Woolshed Creek area, along a roughly defined track leading through the scrub to Perry’s Knob. There they would gather at a small fresh-water swamp which existed and the sound of their chanting, accompanied by the beat of some primitive percussion instruments, would carry on the night air and could be heard for miles around.

Queenslander (Brisbane, Qld. : 1866 – 1939), Saturday 5 November 1881, page 584
A few of the native blacks—a remnant of the tribe that once roamed over the plains as lords of the soil ere the white man first trod the shores of Moreton Bay—visited the Rosewood Gate on Monday, the 24th ultimo, and performed a corroboree, to the great amusement of the white folks who assembled to witness the novel and interesting exhibition.

Here is a photo from a newspaper, The Week in 1927, depicting a group of indigenous people who camped around the Rosewood Scrub in the early settlement days.

Some Bush Tucker & Medicinal Plants

• Native Tamarind (Diploglottis australis): Provided edible, tartarils/fruit consumed as a seasonal bush food source
• Kangaroo Vine (Cissus antarctica): The stems and juicy fruits served as a source of hydration and food in the dense scrub understory.
• Narrow-leaved Bottle Tree (Brachychiton rupestris): The roots and protein-rich seeds were traditionally roasted and eaten for sustenance.
• Sandpaper Fig (Ficus coronata): The rough leaves were crushed or steeped to treat skin irritations, while the sweet figs were gathered as food.

Aboriginal Nomenclature

Bing – Father
Birru meaning plain-no timber.
Bunya – the Bunya pine tree (Araucaria bidwillii).
Currawong – the Currawong bird.
Daounpin – Ant
Dhambur -Mouth
Dhippin – Bird
Gahm – Hair
Kakawan – Kookaburra
Kunkala meaning running fresh.
Kuruman – Kangaroo
Midyim – the midyim berry bush (Austromyrtus dulcis)
Muggul – Head
Mungurra – Leg
Muru – Nose
Ngau – Duck.
Ngumpi – House
Nyamul – Baby
Talegalla or scrub turkey
Thagoona meaning piles
Goojabilla – name for Grandchester, meaning a place for collecting honey.
Moalum – Boy
Cowpanby and Boonooroo – name for Rosewood, meaning all brigalow.
Wuddung – Mother
Wi balga meaning “Hey, come” (a traditional greeting).
Yaga meaning ‘to work’
Yurumkin – Girl

The local word for swamp = balimbal/bulimbool while there are also a couple of specific swamps recorded in the Boonah district, e.g. swamp near Bowman’s = wunehrring; swampy place north of Mt Alford = woorangpilla; generally a reference to water includes ‘guhng’ or ‘dabil’ or waterhole = ‘wenel’ while mud = ‘wahbam’.

If a spear was not the correct shape when being made, it could be straightened by heat and then bent properly over the head. The Ipswich, or “Warpai” tribe, made spears from rosewood (“bunuro”), and these were sometimes exchanged for others; the Brisbane tribe valued them greatly. Before a fight, quantities of spears were made ready.
[Tom Petrie’s Reminiscences of Early Queensland. St Lucia, Queensland: University of Queensland Press. 1992. p. 102]

Yaama means hello and Yaluu means ‘goodbye/talk again’ in Gamilaraay language from South-West Queensland.

Yuggera Word List – State Library of Queensland

Useful Links

Indigenous Land Use Agreement– Jagera, Yuggera and Ugarapul People and Ipswich City Council

Indigenous Use and Indigenous History of Rosewood Scrub for Jagara Daran by Dr Ray Kerkhove (Professional Senior Historian) December 2015, Keperra.

Mapping Frontier Conflict in South-East Queensland – Rosewood Scrub 1843-1848 by Dr Ray Kerkhove

“KING OF TARAMPA”   In 1924 Mr. L. V. Beutel, of Blenheim-road, Laidley, informed the ‘Queensland Times’ of the discovery of a brass plate on which were the words “Johnny, King of Tarampa.”

Photo: Tarampa Johnny

Old Tarampa – King Jonny’s Life – Early Days Under Mr. James England – 1929

Railways map of southeast Queensland showing the Aboriginal tribes in the region – State Library of Queensland.

Local dance group Nunukul Yuggera.

Biography – Multuggerah – Australian Dictionary of Biography

Biography – Old Moppy – Australian Dictionary of Biography

Multuggerah – Monument Australia

Indigenous Service Men and Women – Australian War Memorial

Unveiling of Queensland State Indigenous Memorial at Anzac Square, Brisbane.

Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander