Yirrganydji People - Country

Country

Yirrganydji country extended along the coastal strip, south to the Cairns Trinity Inlet and Woree ; and went north to the Port Douglas District including offshore islands such as Admiralty Island, Double Island, Haycock Island and Low Isles. Yirrganydji territory also extended west to Freshwater Creek and Kamerunga on the Barron River, Spring Creek on the Mowbray River and at certain spots along the Lamb, Macalister, Rifle and Cassowary Ranges.

Yirrganydji sea country extended east into the Great Barrier Reef with connections to reefs between Green Island and Low Isles. Some of the reefs include:

Alexandra reef, Wentworth reef, Egmont reef, Korea reef, Garioch reef, and Unity reef .

Upolu Cay, Paradise Reef, Oyster Reef, Vlasoff Reef, Hastings Reef, Michaelmas Cay/Reef, Jorgensen Patch, Saxon Reef, Fin Reef, Hope Reef, Nicholas Reef, Onyx Reef, Spur Reef, Satellite Reef, Norman Reef, Batt Reef, Tongue Reef, and Opal Reef.

Norman Tindale's (1974) Catalogue of Australian Aboriginal tribes identifies Yirrganydji (aka Irukandji) country as follows:

"Narrow coastal strip from Cairns to Port Douglas (Mowbray River) and on the tidal waters of the Barron River at Redlynch."

According to various elders of the Yirrganydji people:

"Yirrganydji country went as far as Woree to the foot hills of Punta Mara Kunytyi . As you go south to the White Rock area, you are now entering the country of the Yidinyji people. Any Yirrganydji and Djabugay crossing Pana Kiti: rri were in risk of getting speared. You have to sing a special song when crossing that creek. There is a meeting site there on the southern banks of Skeleton Creek we call Tyirri: wantay or Kirapa. Tribes came from everywhere to meet here."

"Yirrganydji country went north to Tyapulkanytyi . Yirrganydji used to camp at Four Mile Beach close to where the Mowbray River exits into the sea. They would have ceremonies there as well as on the foothills of the mountain behind Craiglie. Other tribes used to come to Port Douglas for meeting too, like the Kuku Kulunggur people used to come down from Mossman area, Kuku Muluridji from Mt. Molloy / Mareeba area as well as the Djabugay / Nyakali from the Mowbray River Valley and mountains going south."