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“The Loddon Aboriginals” by Norm Darwin.

Posted by on March 1, 2012

Occupying parts of the North Central area of Victoria were the Jajoweroung (Jajawurrung) tribe, also known as the Djadja Wurrung people.

The name, “Jim Crow blacks”, was also used by the early settlers. Jim Crow being the name given to Mt Franklin by Captain Hepburn.

It is thought Jim Crow was a corruption of the word Jumcra, a name given to the squatters run which covered the district. Coincidentally, the crow featured strongly in the Jajawurrung folk law, it was regarded as lord of the plains.

Another story is told of Captain Hepburn naming the mount after a popular James Rice tune of 1835,

“Wheel about and turn about and do just so,
Turn about and wheel about and jump Jim Crow.”

The Jajawurrung people spoke the same dialect, with minor variations and their `Clan’ chief was considered to be Munangabum of the Liarga balug tribe (located near Maldon). There were 16 tribes in the Jajawurrung’s area.

Note the comment of Helen Davey regarding the use of the words “Aborigine” and “Aboriginal.”

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