Jirrbal Traditional Owners return to Urumbal Pocket

In mid-September Jirrbal Traditional Owners returned to Urumbal Pocket adjacent to the Koombooloomba Dam on the Evelyn Tableland, south-west of Innisfail.

The term ‘pocket’ is used for areas, like this one, which are patches of country where dense rainforest was cleared to create areas where Rainforest Aboriginal Peoples could live more comfortably.

The area is full of evidence of ancient Jirrbal occupation of their country.

Wabubadda field officer, Liam Roberts, was one of the Jirrbal people who attended.

'I really felt the country welcomed us, it’s a different world out there where the forest and water meet, and it feels more like home than living in a city,’ Liam said. 

The project was funded by a Queensland Government Looking After Country Grant. The Traditional Owners undertook archaeological, botanical and cultural surveys during the week. Jirrbal Traditional Owners will take what they learned from these surveys and apply it to ongoing management of their country.

Published: 12th Nov 2019