The term Wulguru may be used as a cover term (for convenience) for dialects spoken by different groups: the Mulgu Y154 and Buluguyban Y153 on Palm Island; two groups at Cleveland Bay (possibly Nhawalgaba/Gabilgara Y180; Cleveland Bay Y218; and another on Magnetic Island (which is not separately listed in this database) Sutton (1973:57-58).
Donohue (2006) agrees with Sutton, but adds a dialect spoken by the Coonambella Y155. From the locations given by Tindale and Oates, Wulgurukaba (Tindale) and Wulgurugaba (Oates) appear to cover all of the above groups, and they are thus listed here in this database rather than under Wulgurugaba Y218.
Dixon uses the term Manbara instead of Wulguru; however according to Sutton's collaborator (1995), Manbara refers to Palm Island people.
Sutton, Peter. 1973. Gugu-Badhun and its neighbours: a linguistic salvage study, Macquarie University: MA. (MS 694).
Tindale, Norman B. 1974. Aboriginal tribes of Australia: their terrain, environmental controls, distribution, limits, and proper names. Berkeley: University of California Press/Canberra: Australian National University Press.
Watson, Joanne 1994. Becoming Bwgcolman : exile and survival on Palm Island Reserve, 1918 to the present / by Joanne Watson. PhD thesis. University of Queensland
On Palm Islands and Magnetic Island; on Ross River; east nearly to Cape Cleveland; west for about 20 miles (30 km.) beyond Townsville ['wulguru] = man. Great Palm Island is called ['Burugu'man]; the last survivor of the island horde died in 1962. A large settlement of mainland people is there now (Tindale 1974: 190). Palm Island, Magnetic Island, Townsville, as far east as Cape Cleveland, and inland for about 30 kilometeres. To the north it was probably spoken as far as the southern limits of Nyawaygi territory, near Rollingstone (Donohue 2007).
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North Queensland Regional Aboriginal Corporation Language Centre
Wulgurukaba Aboriginal Corporation - https://www.wettropicsplan.org.au/contacts-plan-partners/wulgurukaba-aboriginal-corporation/#:~:text=The%20objectives%20of%20the%20Wulgurukaba,of%20economic%20projects%20and%20industries.
Speaker numbers were measured differently across the censuses and various other sources listed in AUSTLANG. You are encouraged to refer to the sources.
Speaker numbers for ‘NILS 2004’ and ‘2005 estimate’ come from 'Table F.3: Numbers of speakers of Australian Indigenous languages (various surveys)' in 'Appendix F NILS endangerment and absolute number results' in McConvell, Marmion and McNicol 2005, pages 198-230 (PDF, 2.5MB).
Donohue, Mark. 2007. Wulguru: a salvage study of a north-eastern Australian language from Townsville. Munich: Lincom Europe.
