Aboriginal culture trails

Brisbane City Council helps to preserve and communicate Aboriginal cultural heritage through initiatives such as bushland culture trails and heritage trails.

Nurri Millen totems - Boondall Wetlands

In 1996, nationally renowned Indigenous artist, the late Ron Hurley, worked with six local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to study and research the Indigenous culture of the Boondall Wetlands. Together, they developed and reinforced their cultural identity by creating a series of contemporary totems symbolising various aspects of their culture. The totems form part of Council's public art collection.

The 18 cast aluminium totems refer to food, plants and animals, tools, camp life and the Dreaming. Each totem is placed near a related site, or plant and animal habitat within the wetlands. Many of the totems are supported or framed by tools including shields and boomerangs.

Indigenous people have an extensive history in the region. The wetlands in Boondall and Tinchi Tamba contained campsites, ceremonial grounds and essential supplies such as food, fibres and medicines. Today, many local groups continue to have direct ties to this land for ceremonial and teaching purposes. This artwork is an important tool to communicate the area's stories and traditions, and to celebrate its cultural significance.

Find out more about the Boondall Wetlands.

Nurri Millen Totem Trail map and text views

Nurri Millen totems accessible text view

Feature name	Location information	Description	Number
Nurri Millen	Nurri Millen Totem Trail, Boondall Wetlands, 31 Paperbark Drive, Boondall	This nurri millen (many names) totem is the legend totem of the sculptural series. One side shows the northern wetlands with tracks to and from the junctions of Nundah and Cabbage Tree Creeks. The shells represent the shellfish gathered as food as well as the sea flooding after the ice ages. The other side shows the wading bird tracks on the tidal flats.	1
Darlo	Nurri Millen Totem Trail, Boondall Wetlands, 31 Paperbark Drive, Boondall	Darlo (fire) crowns this totem framed by firesticks in their holders. The holders were made using grass tree resin and the sticks were from the cotton tree. Fire was women’s responsibility, and if the fire went out it was kindled by twirling the firestick in a hole cut into a piece of hard wood.	2
Mumbal	Nurri Millen Totem Trail, Boondall Wetlands, 31 Paperbark Drive, Boondall	Mumbal was the being who spoke with the voice of thunder. The clouds and lightening represent Mumbal who created the earth and everything on it. The hands in all directions represent the creator, the people and their respect. The totem was placed here in sight of the Glasshouse Mountains that are part of the Dreamtime creation story.	3
Binkin	Nurri Millen Totem Trail, Boondall Wetlands, 31 Paperbark Drive, Boondall	Ponds are turtle habitat. Murri’s did not eat the long necked turtle, but the short-necked turtle was good to eat. The shield markings represent water.	4
Kambo	Nurri Millen Totem Trail, Boondall Wetlands, 31 Paperbark Drive, Boondall	One side of the totem shows a witchetty grub (kambo) surrounded by its sawdust inside a swamp oak (billai) trunk. The other side represents people sharing kambo. Their grubs are the larvae of a beetle and are delicious raw or roasted.	5
Murri	Nurri Millen Totem Trail, Boondall Wetlands, 31 Paperbark Drive, Boondall	Kangaroos were once common on the wetlands but are no longer found here. One side of the totem shows a waterhole with Eastern Grey Kangaroo tracks, the other side shows a kangaroo. As well as food, kangaroos provided rugs, sinew for stitching and tying and bone for tools and ornaments. Murri means kangaroo, but is also the name Indigenous Australians refer to themselves as, which is common to Southeast Queensland and some parts of North eastern New South Wales	6
Du-wir	Nurri Millen Totem Trail, Boondall Wetlands, 31 Paperbark Drive, Boondall	Brown quail (du-wir) live in the grass and were a favourite food. Women and children would beat the grass to flush out the birds and the men would bring them down with small hunting boomerangs.	7
Darlobopal	Nurri Millen Totem Trail, Boondall Wetlands, 31 Paperbark Drive, Boondall	This totem represents Darlobopal (camp place with fire). The fish skeleton indicates that fish could be caught here and eaten. The other side shows swimming fish. The flames on the side and top represent the fireplace for cooking, warmth and light.	8
Gramman	Nurri Millen Totem Trail, Boondall Wetlands, 31 Paperbark Drive, Boondall	Flying foxes (gramman) a favourite Murri food, hang from boomerangs across a shield. They fly in to eat the fruits of these rainforest trees, dropping seeds of other plants. Their nearest camp is on Cabbage Tree Creek.	9
Wabbalkan	Nurri Millen Totem Trail, Boondall Wetlands, 31 Paperbark Drive, Boondall	The oval shapes represent bullroarers (wabbalkan), carved pieces of coast banksia wood that ‘roars’ when swung by string through the air. Bullroarers were used to ask permission to cross another tribe’s land, or to call children back to camp for dinner or bed.	10
Dilli	Nurri Millen Totem Trail, Boondall Wetlands, 31 Paperbark Drive, Boondall	A colony of squirrel gliders (chibbur) lived around here. Gliders were a totem animal. The background design was used to decorate weapons and carrying vessels. The other side is hollowed out to show a squirrel glider’s silhouette.	11
Chibbur	Nurri Millen Totem Trail, Boondall Wetlands, 31 Paperbark Drive, Boondall	A colony of squirrel gliders (chibbur) lived around here. Gliders were a totem animal. The background design was used to decorate weapons and carrying vessels. The other side is hollowed out to show a squirrel glider’s silhouette.	12
Meeamee	Nurri Millen Totem Trail, Boondall Wetlands, 31 Paperbark Drive, Boondall	Crushed soap tree (meeamee) leaves made a lather for cleansing and they were also used to stun fish. The totem shows fish swimming, fish floating and the skeletons of fish caught and eaten. Eel shapes surrounded the top.	13
Chagine	Nurri Millen Totem Trail, Boondall Wetlands, 31 Paperbark Drive, Boondall	Eels (chagine) live in the creeks and were an important food. The markings on the shield are a typical local decorative motif.	14
Tabri	Nurri Millen Totem Trail, Boondall Wetlands, 31 Paperbark Drive, Boondall	Hunting and fighting clubs (tabri) were often made from grey ironbarks such as those growing nearby. Tabri come in many shapes and sizes. The wood was carved using sharp stones, then rubbed with beeswax and hardened in the fire.	15
Kuta	Nurri Millen Totem Trail, Boondall Wetlands, 31 Paperbark Drive, Boondall	Stingless native honey bees (kuta) rest on the side of a hive represented by two coolamons (niugum) placed together. Hexagonal patterns show honeycomb dripping with honey.	16
Ngurrun	Nurri Millen Totem Trail, Boondall Wetlands, 31 Paperbark Drive, Boondall	The grassland and woodlands were once emu (ngurrun) habitat. One side of the totem shows the emu and its tracks, the other side shows emu tracks leading to its next. Emus were both a food and a totem animal. Emu feathers were used for decoration.	17
Kabul	Nurri Millen Totem Trail, Boondall Wetlands, 31 Paperbark Drive, Boondall	Carpet pythons (Kabul) were a food and totem animal. They are still common in the woodlands and forests.	18

Council heritage trails with points of interest showcasing Aboriginal culture

Breakfast Creek to Bretts Wharf Heritage Trail

Point of interest 4: Local Aboriginal history at Cameron Rocks Reserve, Hamilton

Breakfast Creek, Newstead and Hamilton are culturally and spiritually significant to the Turrbal people. They provide the source of life, meaning, connectivity and cultural vitality and are an integral part of the diverse cultural network of rivers, creeks, floodplains, camp sites, swamps, pathways and hunting ground that constitute the Turrbal Riverine system.

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Petrie Terrace Heritage Trail

Point of interest 5: Aboriginal history

Tom Petrie grew up in the fledgling settlement of Brisbane town in the 1840s. Throughout his time he witnessed many intertribal gatherings around Petrie Terrace. These intertribal gatherings included large ceremonies, corroborees and tournaments where up to one thousand people camped in the vicinity. The main tournament and fighting ground for those who camped around Petrie Terrace was down the hill in the vicinity of where Roma Street station and Roma Street Parkland are located today.

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Sandgate Heritage Trail

Point of interest 7: Aboriginal campsite (former) at the corner of Cliff Street and Flinders Parade, Sandgate

Before European settlement, Sandgate was home to many Aboriginal people. The largest and most used campsite stretched from the southern end of Flinders Parade and along Sandgate Foreshores Park to the former Baptist Church. Important ceremonies such as corroborees were conducted at the bora ground in what is now known as the Sandgate Golf Links.

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The Gabba's Hidden Gems Heritage Trail

Point of interest 17: 'Fight talk place' at corner of Stanley Street and Main Street, Woolloongabba

The name 'Woolloongabba' is believed to be the Aboriginal word for ‘fight talk place’. One of the largest Aboriginal camps on the southern side of the river was situated where the former railway goods yards were located. On the land beside the camp there was a significant fighting ground where hundreds of men from different southside groups would gather and take part in important events. As well as the fighting ground, the bora ground on the southern side of the river was used for ceremonies, including male initiation ceremonies.

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Last updated: 27 October 2023