About
Kimak ngey’engguh? Welcome to the Kungarakan Cultural and Education Association (KCEA) website.
Kungarakan people are the registered traditional owners of the Finniss River Land Trust (FRLT) in the Fitzmaurice Region of the Northern Territory and Little Wagait (Wagatj), the Delissaville Wagait Larrakia Aboriginal Land Trust.
Traditionally, Kungarakan country extended from Berry Springs, Litchfield Park, Wagait (Wagatj), Batchelor, Rum Jungle (Unrungkoolpum) and Adelaide River regions. Like many other Aboriginal people, Kungarakan people suffered the impacts of colonisation and genocide resulting in the dispossession of their country.
Since the event of the Aboriginal Land Rights Act (1976), Kungarakan were able to reclaim portions of their traditional land through the lengthy Finniss River Land Claim.
While the Aboriginal Land Rights Act (1976) recognised Kungarakan connection to the country, it also recognised other Aboriginal groups, through ‘historical’ connection to the land under ‘white man’s law’. The historical connection to Kungarakan land was through their descendants who followed Chinese and European miners during their exploits on mineral-rich Lok Kungarakan.
Kungarakany people were known and often referred to as the Paperbark people. Kungarakany Gini are freshwater people, evident through the abundant waterholes and underground aquifers connected to Kungarakan sacred sites, Dreamtime stories and song lines.
Popular tourist areas in the Litchfield National Park such as, but not limited to Buely Rockhole, Tolmer, Florence and Wangi Falls, including the Berry Springs Nature Park and the Territory Wildlife Park are sites of cultural significance to the Kungarakan people. Kungarakan names to these regions are, Wagatj (Wagait), Purlagatj (Litchfield upper), Pooragatj (Litchfield – Adelaide River end), and Rum Jungle.
Lok Coomalie played a significant role in the WWII effort to protect Australia. More information about the history of the region can be viewed here ‘Coomalie Short Story’
The Kungarakan Culture & Education Association
The KCEA provides Kungarakan descendants of Alyandabu (Lucy McGinness-McGuinness), an organisational structure through which we can come together to conduct the cultural affairs of our family descent group. If you are a descendant of Alyandabu and would like to be a member of the KCEA, please fill in a Membership Form as we would love to hear from you. A membership form will be supplied upon request with a payment of a $5 annual membership fee, due on 1st July through to 30 June.
Current Management Committee
| Name | Role |
|---|---|
| Helen Bishop | Chairperson |
| Mia Stanford | Vice Chairperson |
| Trudy Avlonitis | Secretary |
| Skylie Monck | Treasurer |
| Joninha Kym Hoffmann | Ordinary |
| Greg Ludwig | Public Officer |
| Robert Ludwig | Ordinary |
Alyandabu: Matriarch and ancestor of Kungarakan people
Related resources
- Working with Custodians – Territory Wildlife Park
- Aboriginal Steel Art
- ABC Radio – Litchfield Park Kungarakan Country
- Finniss River Land Claim
- Coomalie – A Short Story