Home » Themes » Culture » Indigenous
Bibulmun WomanPrint Page 
The sculpture of a Bibulmun woman and a dingo denotes the importance of the area to Nyoongar people. ‘Bibul’ means ‘breast’, hence the Bibbulmun clan name indicates that they were a matrilineal society (succession was via the mother).
The original inhabitants of this area were the Oor-dal-kalla people, the family group of Yellagonga, a prominent Aboriginal elder highly regarded in Nyoongar culture. It is from the Oor-dal-kalla people that Joondalup derives its name. The Nyoongar word is Doondalup and it means ‘the lake that glistens’.
Location
| Address: | Boas Avenue, Neil Hawkins Park, Joondalup, 6027 |
|---|---|
| State: | WA |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -31.743056 Long: 115.778056 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Sculpture |
|---|---|
| Monument Theme: | Culture |
| Sub-Theme: | Indigenous |
| Artist: | Rod Corbett |
Dedication
| Actual Monument Dedication Date: | Wednesday 8th July, 1998 |
|---|
Plaque :
The Artworks
The woman is Bibulmun Yorga. The Bibulmun tribe gets the name from the fact they came from the hills country that follows the coastline. These hills have many features that resemble women`s breasts or bibbys and also the fact that it is an area ruled by matrilineal moiety.
The woman is wearing a kangaroo skin cloak called a buka (pronounced boo-ka). On her head, she is wearing a waggardi. She is holding a wooden dish called a yandi (East Coast Coolamon). This dish carries water, fire, wood, food, babies. She is holding a wanna (digging stick).
The dog is called dwerda and is the clan totem for Wanneroo, Yanchep, Moora areas. Borunge means totem and Borongorup is the birth place of all Bibulmun just like the Garden of Eden to Christians. Wanneroo is a songline for a country. Wanneroo is derived from Bibulmun sacra word which denotes the country of vegetable foods, yams, yanget and tuart roots.
How coincidental the Southern Europeans set up market gardens in this area.
Author : Ken Colbung
Artist : Rod Corbett
A Public Art Project of the City of Joondalup - 8 July 1988
