Walking on Turrbul Country

"Though the land belonged to the whole tribe, 

the head men often spoke of it as theirs. 

The tribe in general owned the animals and birds on the ground, 

also roots and nests, 

but certain men and women owned different fruit or flower-trees and shrubs. 

For instance, a man could own a bonyi (Araucaria bidwilli) tree, 

and a woman a minti (Banksia amula), dulandella (Persoonia Sp.), 

midyim (Myrtus tenuifolia), or dakkabin(Xanthorrhoea aborea) tree. 

Then a man sometimes owned a portion of the river 

which was a good fishing spot, 

and no one else could fish there without his permission."

Constance and Tom Petrie 1904