5 Traditional Owners of UQ Campuses and Sites
Who is a Traditional Owner?
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have been here since the beginning of time. You might have heard the term ‘Traditional Owner’ when people are acknowledging Country and some people also use the term ‘Traditional Custodian’.
Traditional Owners as researchers
At the 2019 National Indigenous Research Conference, three Aboriginal women from large regional centres undertaking higher degree research at Central Queensland University shared how they approach research on Country as Traditional Owners. Dr Melinda Mann, Samantha Cooms and Joann Schmiderl presented reflections and future considerations of their particular geo-cultural research relationships with Darumbal, Noonukul – Quandamooka, and Mamu – tropical rainforest peoples.
The presentation highlighted research design considerations to meet the University PhD requirements alongside cultural responsibilities and imperatives. The presenters proposed that Traditional Custodians are not only well-positioned on their Homelands as researchers because of their access and knowledge of local land and people, but their cultural imperative for protecting, maintaining and creating knowledge as Traditional Custodians posits them as critical contributors in the future research agenda.
Traditional Custodians as researchers: Experiences of researching with our Mob on our Country contains an abstract, podcast and slides of the presentation by Dr Melinda Mann, Samantha Cooms and Joann Schmider. (Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies, 2019)
How do I find out who the Traditional Owners of an area are?
Check the table below to locate Traditional Owners, if known, of UQ campuses and sites. Colonisation has disrupted, and continues to disrupt, some family lines, meaning knowledge of some Countries’ custodians has been lost. One of the consequences of Australia’s colonial history is that in some areas, Traditional Owners are not known, or there may be different understandings of families and family connections to Country.
When there is no Community agreement or Native Title Registered Body, local families claiming Traditional Owner connections to Country may sometimes be in dispute and engaged in an ongoing process of resolution. This can take many, many years to resolve. Non-Indigenous people or organisations cannot resolve this situation for families nor choose who the Traditional Owners are. It is the families who, in their own time and way, work towards agreement and resolution. An example of communities in an ongoing resolution process is in the Brisbane region where UQ’s Brisbane City, Herston and St Lucia campuses and numerous sites are located.
If known, you can add the Traditional Owners to an Acknowledgement of Country. Wording and when to include an Acknowledgement are available in Part 4: Protocols.
If you are acknowledging Country on a UQ site that is not listed, please contact the local Aboriginal and or Torres Strait Islander corporation or organisation or relevant region of Queensland Government Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships. Find regional contacts under the Regional Service Centres.
Known Traditional Owners of UQ Campuses and Sites listed Alphabetically
Information on Traditional Owner Groups was sourced from the Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships (DATSIP), Queensland Government, March – June 2020. Please note spelling of Traditional Owner groups may vary and the spelling in this guide is based on DATSIP recommendations.
| Campus or Site | Traditional Owner | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Brisbane City | We acknowledge the Traditional Owners and their custodianship | |
| Bundaberg Rural Clinical School | Bailai, Gooreng Gooreng, Gurang and Taribelang Bunda peoples | Bailai – Bay-lee
Gooreng Gooreng: Goo-rang Goo-rang Gurang: Goor-rang Taribelang Bunda: Dah-rib-a-lung Boon-dah |
| Herston | We acknowledge the Traditional Owners and their custodianship | |
| Gatton campus | We acknowledge all the Traditional Owner Groups of the area and their custodianship | |
| Heron Island Research Station | Bailai, Gooreng Gooreng, Gurang and Taribelang Bunda peoples | Bailai – Bay-lee
Gooreng Gooreng: Goo-rang Goo-rang Gurang: Goor-rang Taribelang Bunda: Dah-rib-a-lung Boon-dah |
| Hervey Bay | Butchulla people | But-cha-lah |
| Ipswich | We acknowledge all the Traditional Owner Groups of the area and their custodianship | |
| Laidley North | We acknowledge all the Traditional Owner Groups of the area and their custodianship. | |
| Lawes | We acknowledge all the Traditional Owner Groups of the area and their custodianship. | |
| Logan | In order to determine who the Traditional Owner/Custodian(s) is for a specific location within the Logan LGA, please contact the DATSIP SEQ South office on phone 3080 4700. | |
| Meadowbrook | We acknowledge the Yugambeh Speaking Peoples, Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land on which we meet. | You-gum-bear |
| Moreton Bay Research Station | Quandamooka people | Quan-da-moo-ka |
| Redland Hospital | Quandamooka people | Quan-da-moo-ka |
| Rockhampton Rural Clinical School | Darumbal People | Dah-rum-bull |
| Roma | We acknowledge all the Traditional Owner Groups of the area and their custodianship | |
| Sladevale | We acknowledge all the Traditional Owner Groups of the area and their custodianship | |
| St Lucia | We acknowledge the Traditional Owners and their custodianship | |
| Toowoomba Rural Clinical School | We acknowledge all the Traditional Owner Groups of the area and their custodianship | |
| Veterinary Practice Dayboro | Kabi Kabi people | Kub-ee Kub-ee |
