Quandamooka people

The Quandamooka people (Jandai pronunciation: /ˈkwɒndəˌmʊkə/) are Aboriginal Australians who live around Moreton Bay in Southeastern Queensland.

They are composed of three distinct tribes, the Nunukul, the Goenpul[a] and the Ngugi, and they live primarily on Moreton and North Stradbroke Islands, that form the eastern side of the bay.

The term Quandamooka refers geographically to the southern Moreton Bay, the waters, islands and adjacent coastal areas of the mainland.

[5] The Quandamooka people first encountered Europeans in 1799, when the English navigator and cartographer Matthew Flinders passed several weeks exploring Moreton Bay.

During that time he kept a diary of his life on the island recording in detail, every day – who visited the camp, the food they caught and foraged for, weather patterns and other significant events.

Significantly he recorded many Aboriginal words and their local meaning, and clearly identified the men, women and children with whom he shared his reclusive life.

They built shelters of various kinds, ranging from simple lean-tos for an overnight stay to more robust huts used at well-frequented campsites.

These included shellfish, fern roots, Pandanus trees, insect larvae, berries, lily bulbs, honey, and small game.

[11] On 4 July 2011, the Quandamooka people were granted Native title to a 568-square-kilometre (219 sq mi) plot of land, following a 16-year legal battle.