We had a proud moment last week when three of our Year 3 students attended the opening of Googong’s newest park, Yerradhang Nguru. The naming of the park recognises the connection that the Ngunawal people have as the traditional custodians of the land on which Googong is built.
Yerradhang Nguru means Gumnut Camp and was chosen to indicate that this was an area frequented by the Ngunawal people as they moved along the pathways in their travels. A ‘camp’ for them was a place to take a break and look around. Ngunawal representatives performed a traditional welcome to country and cleansing ceremony with didgeridoo accompaniment which our students participated in.
Aboriginal place names have been assigned to other key locations in Googong where the names make a meaningful connection with the indigenous habitation and use of the land. The four locations that received new Aboriginal names were Googong Common, Hill 800, ‘The Gumnuts’ park and Montgomery Rise park. Googong Common is now Bunburung Thina meaning small lizard track and the park at Montgomery Rise is now Munnagai Woggabaliri, which means come and play.
Hill 800 has been renamed Nangi Pimble which means see the district or look at the district. This is the area that our students planted some Allocasuarina verticillate (Drooping Sheoak) trees on earlier this year. This particular species is a primary food source for the Glossy Black Cockatoo (the bird on the school’s logo).
